SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

Bursting with smoky, savoury flavours and simmered to perfection with tender split peas and aromatic vegetables, it’s the ideal comfort food for chilly evenings. Serve it piping hot with crusty bread for the ultimate winter warmer.

SERVES 6

Prep time 20 minutes

Cook 2 hours 40 minutes 

INGREDIENTS

• 800g piece of bone-in ham
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 20g butter, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (any tender leaves reserved to serve)
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 320g (1 1/3 cups) dried green split peas
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• Freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• Coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and crusty bread, to serve

NOTES: When fresh peas are in season, they’re an excellent addition to this soup. Use two-thirds of the quantity of split peas and add 250g of freshly shelled peas to the soup in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Alternatively, you could use frozen peas.

The soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or makes an excellent freezer staple.

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat, add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic and sauté for 8–10 minutes until the onion is tender and translucent. Add 2 litres (8 cups) of water, the piece of ham, split peas, thyme and bay leaf, season to taste with freshly ground black pepper (don’t season the soup with salt at this stage or the split peas will take longer to cook) and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to medium, half-cover with a lid necessary until the split peas and ham are tender.

2. Remove the piece of ham from the soup and set it aside to cool slightly. Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces (discarding skin, bones and sinew). Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, then purée the soup with a handheld blender or in batches in a food processor until the texture is to your liking, whether that’s silky smooth or slightly chunkier. If using a food processor, allow the liquid to cool slightly before puréeing. Thin the soup with a little water, if necessary.

3. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, then squeeze in a little lemon juice to brighten the flavour. Stir in the shredded ham and serve hot, scattered with chopped parsley and with crusty bread or toast to dip into the soup.

This recipe has been taken straight from the pages of MEAT: The Ultimate Companion by Anthony Puharich & Libby Travers. Hungry for more? Grab yourself a signed copy of the book here.