By Beth V
I promised a recipe to use leftover Christmas ham and here it is. Some of you may be thinking, “Yuck, I really do not like peas, so why would I like split pea soup?“ Well, I don’t like peas either, but I love split pea soup. Split peas are high in fiber, protein, B-vitamins and many minerals. This is a simple and satisfying soup that comes together quickly and does not require any soaking. And, it tastes really good, I promise.
Heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat and add a chopped onion, four chopped carrots, three chopped celery stalks and a tablespoon of dried thyme. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon salt and some a few shakes of pepper over the vegetables. Cook this for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
As a side note, here is a great tip for preserving celery. When you get it home from the grocery store, wrap it in foil, covering it completely, and then put it in the refrigerator. The foil allows just enough moisture and air exchange to keep it really fresh and crisp for a very long time. It extends the life of the celery up to a few weeks. Try it, it’s pretty amazing. After you use what you need for a recipe, just make sure it is wrapped well in the foil and return it to the refrigerator.
While the vegetables are cooking, rinse and quickly sort through your split peas, removing any debris that may have found it’s way in. Once the veggies are soft, add 8 cups of water, 3 cubes of chicken bouillon, and the ham bone to your soup pot.
Bring this to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low, partially covering the pan and let it simmer for about 40 to 45 minutes until the split peas are tender. Meanwhile, chop an additional two cups of ham to be added to the soup later.
When the split peas are soft, remove the ham bone from the soup. To get a just-right texture, puree about half of the soup in a blender. This thickens the soup a bit and allows some chunkiness to remain.
Remove any meat that is remaining on the bone and add it back into the soup along with the additional chopped ham. Stir in additional salt and pepper to taste along with a tablespoon or two of fresh lemon juice. I also added a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper…not enough to make it really spicy, just enough to add a bit of a zing. If the soup is too thick, just add water, about a half cup at a time, until you reach consistency you prefer.
Crusty bread would be a very welcome addition to this delicious, healthy and hearty soup.
Enjoy!
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Adapted from marthastewart.com1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 16-oz bag green split peas, rinsed and picked through
Ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1.Heat oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook 5-8 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.
2. Add 8 cups water, bouillon cubes, ham bone and split peas to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, partially covering the pan. Cook 40 to 45 minutes until the split peas are tender.
3. Remove the bone and puree half of the soup in a blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot and add in any ham from the bone along with the reserved chopped ham. Season with salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice to taste. If necessary, thin soup with water to reach the desired consistency.
Beth is a stay-at-home mom of three wonderfully active children ages 6, 3 and almost 1. She is married to Jason (who also writes for us here at MAD21) and spends her days teaching, changing diapers, sweeping up Cheerios, keeping peace among the kids, and whipping out gourmet meals on the side.