Once you’ve made this soup once you’ll crave it all winter long. Made with a few humble ingredients, it’s budget friendly as well as satisfying. Look for a good deal on a ham roast, make a dinner (or two) of sliced ham out of it first, then chop the rest and use the bone to make this warm, comforting split pea soup with ham.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 ribs of celery, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt , to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
- 2-4 cloves garlic (measure with your heart), chopped or minced
- 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
- 1 ham bone
- 1 or 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoons dry thyme (or 2 fresh)
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup diced ham
Instructions
- Chop onions, celery, carrots, and garlic by hand, or use the Sonic Chopper Extra to save on prep time
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter until foaming subsides. Add onion, carrot, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. Stir in split peas.
- Add ham bone, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Stir in chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. (Stir more frequently as the soup begins to thicken and add a little additional stock or water if it gets too thick)
- Add diced ham during the last 15 minutes of cooking. When ready to serve, remove and discard ham bone and bay leaf. Season to taste with salt, if needed. Serve hot with fresh bread.