Split Pea and Ham Soup
Servings: 12 | Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
1 ham bone
1/2 pound ham chopped
1 lb. bag dry split peas
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups, plus 2 quarts water
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 lb. carrots cut into 1/2″ pieces (baby carrots cut in thirds work well)
1 can evaporated milk or 1 cup light cream
1 tablespoon flour
salt and white pepper to taste
Directions:
Empty package of split peas into a colander or sieve. Sort through, removing foreign matter and imperfect peas. Rinse well.
Soak peas for two hours in 2 cups water. Discard any floaters.
Cut any remaining ham off the ham bone, reserve.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, sauté minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil until garlic is golden, but not brown in color.
Add ham bone, paprika, split peas, soaking liquid, 2 quarts of water, and bay leaves.
Bring to a boil for 1 minute; skim.
Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Skim, then stir.
Remove cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Skim again.
Remove ham bone and bay leaves. Pick any meat off the ham bone and add to reserve.
Process soup using an immersion blender. Add carrots.
Simmer soup for 30 minutes.
Remove one cup of liquid. Whisk flour with liquid. Add back to soup.
Remove one cup of liquid. Puree with frozen peas and stir in to soup.
Stir in milk or cream.
Remove any fat or gristle from reserved ham. Chop roughly (to about the same size as the carrots) and add to soup.
Cook 10 minutes, or until soup is at desired consistency.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Add additional paprika, if desired.
Notes:
I hated this soup as a kid, but have learned to love it, especially with paprika. Adapted from the recipe on a bag of split peas. I can’t even remember the brand.