Split Pea & Ham Soup

Nothing conjures up memories from my childhood more than a pot of split pea and ham soup on the stove, bubbling away. It was my Dad's favourite so Mum cooked it quite a bit in the winter time.

I picked up quite a meaty looking ham hock at the supermarket during the week for around $5 so a relatively cheap and hearty meal. No green split peas (everyone must've had the same idea as me) so yellow split peas it was. (If I've not been able to find green split peas, I've sometimes added frozen green peas towards the end of cooking and blitzed them along with the rest of the soup.)

Nonetheless, split peas are split peas, no matter what colour they are and this soup is rib sticking, good stuff. I've got quite a few serves out of it for the freezer so I'm prepared for the winter, bit like a squirrel.

Split Pea & Ham Soup

• 1 ham hock or bacon bones
• 1 cup split peas, rinsed
• 1 potato, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• pepper
• chicken or vegetable stock

1. Combine all ingredients, placing ham hock on top of vegetables and ensure covered by stock.
2. Once carrots have softened and split peas have cooked (approximately 30 to 45 mins), remove ham hock, remove meat and return to soup.
3. Serve as is or, as I prefer, blend with a stick blender until smooth.
4. Suitable for the slow cooker and suitable to freeze.

Pin It