The ultimate comfort food, this old-fashioned Pea and Ham Soup is simple, scrumptious and satisfying. Made with split peas, ham hock and simple vegetables, it's the kind of soup many Australians remember simmering away on the stove during winter.
This recipe is a perfect way to use up a leftover Christmas Ham Bone. You can also buy a ham bone (also known as a ham hock) any time of year and make up a batch of this extremely more-ish soup.
The recipe is one I've created from several I found in old community cookbooks and Australian newspapers from the early to mid 1900s. One of my taste testers, who owned a restaurant in Europe, couldn't fault it. He said each spoonful was exactly as it should be – like scooping up the perfect blend of wholesome peas and smoky ham. I won't argue with that!
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Ingredient notes
Make sure your ham bone still has some meat attached (which will fall away during the cooking). I suggest it should be about 1kg.
You'll also need: green split peas (use yellow, if preferred), celery, carrot, onion and potato.
Season with salt and pepper and a bay leaf. Garnish, if desired, with fresh mint and a little extra ham.
All ingredient quantities along with the method are in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Pea and Ham Soup
TIP: It's a super simple recipe but you do need to remember to soak the peas overnight. You'll also need a boiler large enough to fit the ham bone.
Start by draining the water from the peas and chopping the vegetables. Next, add all of the ingredients, apart from the mint, to the boiler (see images 1 and 2). Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour (see image 3).
Allow to cool a little and then remove the ham bone and bay leaf from the boiler. If all of the meat hasn't fallen off the bone, remove and add back into the boiler. Use a stick blender to create a thick but still slightly lumpy soup (see image 4).
Serving and storage
Garnish with ham and mint and serve warm. Serve with melba toast.
You can store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2 days or freeze, in an airtight container, for up to 3 months.
More cosy comfort foods
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Pea and Ham Soup Recipe
Equipment
- large boiler (big enough to fit the ham bone)
Ingredients
- 250 grams green split peas (1 ¼ cups) (pre-soaked overnight) (or substitute yellow split peas)
- 1kg ham bone
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, finely diced
- 1 potato, finely diced
- 1 stick celery, finely chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cracked pepper
- 3 litres water
- 1 sprig mint, chopped, to garnish (optional)
- little extra ham, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Soak peas overnight in cold water.
- Drain the water from the peas and add all the ingredients, apart from the mint, to the boiler.
- Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour.
- Allow to cool a little and then remove the ham bone and bay leaf from the boiler.
- If all of the meat hasn't fallen off the bone, remove and add back into the boiler.
- Use a stick blender to create a thick but still slightly lumpy soup.
- Garnish with ham and mint and serve warm. Serve with melba toast.
Libby says
A lovely old fashioned recipe