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!
Ham-Bone Split Pea Soup
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.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 2-1/2quarts | 10mins |
| Cook Time |
| 2hours |
|
|
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.
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