Is there anything better than split pea soup with ham or bacon bones on a cold winter’s day? I don’t think so. Pair it up with a slice or two of crusty bread and I’m in heaven.
I mentioned my pea soup in a previous post and I had several people ask me to post it. I didn’t do it then because I thought everyone probably has a favorite family recipe for pea soup. I was wrong.
This is a very easy soup to make. The only bit that takes time is getting the meat off the bones and that’s not necessary if all you want is the flavor of the ham or bacon. I like the bits of ham in the soup and I don’t blitz the soup because I like to taste the teensy bits of ham and carrots and onion. That’s just my preference. Lots of people either blitz with a wand or put the soup in the blender to make it really smooth.
- 500g or 16 oz. packet dried green split peas
- 4 cups of low salt chicken stock
- Up to 1kg ham bone or bacon bones (I used bacon bones)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 1 bouquet garni (parsley, thyme and a bay leaf tied with string)
- 1 cup cream
- salt and cracked pepper to taste
- Rinse split peas and soak in a pan of water for at least an hour or up to 8 hours to plump them up. (lots of people skip this step but it's how my mother taught me to make this soup.)
- In a large heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and add the garlic, onion and carrots and slowly cook without burning or coloring.
- Add the split peas, chicken stock, bones, cracked pepper and bouquet garni and simmer for 1½ hours.
- Remove bouquet garni and discard - it's done its work
- Remove the bones and pick off the meat (it should just fall apart) and return to soup pot.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Either blitz or blend if you want smooth soup
- Stir in cream
- Serve with some nice crusty bread
