Ham-Bone Split Pea Soup

AAT — Tue, 01 Dec 2020 01:55:03 +0000

Always a staple for the week following Thanksgiving or Easter, this cozy and nostalgic classic is a must for that leftover holiday ham. But no need to wait for the ham, a large smokey ham hock does the trick just fine!

A rich, cozy, and nostalgic repurposing of that left-over Easter & Thanksgiving spiral-cut ham bone. This recipe uses the bone from a 7-pound half ham, just double the recipe if using a full/whole ham. You didn’t have a ham?... A large split smoked ham hock is a fabulous substitution. This recipe makes about 2-1/2 quarts.

CourseSoup & Stew
CuisineAmerican, Easter, Pork, Thanksgiving
KeywordEaster, Ham, Split Pea Soup, Thanksgiving

Servings2-1/2 quarts

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time2 hours

Ingredients

Ham-Bone Broth

1 meaty ham bone(leftover from a 7-pound Honeybaked half-ham. Or 1 large smoked ham hock, split)
1 large yellow onionchopped
6cups water
4cups chicken stock
2tbsp olive oil
2leaves bay(largeor 3 small)
3cloves garliccrushed

Ham-Bone Split Pea Soup

8cups ham-bone broth
1lb dried green split peas(2 cups)
2cups water
1cup carrotsdiced
2cups hamcubed and divided
1/2cup celeryminced (about 2 stalks)
1 bay leaflarge
1tsp dried thyme
1tsp kosher salt
1/4tsp ground black pepper
Minced chivesoptional

Instructions

To Prepare Ham-Bone Broth

From the bone of a half ham, cut off any good ham, leaving ham scrapes attached to the bone. Cube the good ham, and set aside for later; you should have 2 cups ham.
To a stockpot , add olive oil, onions, crushed garlic, ham bone, and bay leaves.
Heat over MED heat until onions begin to turn translucent, occasionally stirring.
Add chicken stock and water, and (stirring occasionally) continue to simmer over MED heat for 1 hour, or until liquids reduces to 8 cups.
With a sieve or kitchen strainer, strain onions, garlic, ham bone & meat scraps, and bay leaves from broth. Reserve broth. Recipe should yield 8 cups of broth; if shy, adjust with water to yield 8 cups (2 quarts).

To Prepare Ham-Bone Split Pea Soup

To a stockpot, add dried split peas, ham-bone broth, thyme and bay leaf.
Simmer over MED heat for 1 hour, until the split peas have softened, and begun to break apart - and the liquid has reduced by a third.
Add 2 cups water, carrots and celery, and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Simmer over MED heat 20 minutes longer until the carrots have softened, and can be easily smashed in between your fingers, and the soup has thickened. Add a bit more water, if a thinner consistency is desired.
To serve, garnish top of soup with remaining cubed ham, and minced chives, if desired.

Recipe Notes

In addition to cubed ham, try topping your HAM-BONE SPLIT PEA SOUP with a dollop of sour cream, bacon bits, scallions, or cheddar.

bay(large – Aubrey About Town

Ham-Bone Split Pea Soup