Ham and Split Pea Soup
This ham and split pea soup is a delicious heart warming soup that is perfect for a cold day.
Servings: 4 people
Equipment
- 1 Big pan
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Measuring Jug
- 1 Wooden spoon
Ingredients
- 200 g yellow split peas
- 700 g gammon joint
- 900 ml chicken or ham stock
- 2 litres water
- 2 large onions
- 1 large carrot
- 1 stick celery
- 2 tsp fresh thyme
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
Make the Ham Stock
- If you are using chicken stock you can skip this section.
- Calculate the cooking time. Normal time is 10 minutes per 450g, plus an added 10 minutes.
- Rinse the ham joint and put it into a large pan. Cover with water.
- Bring to the boil. Simmer for the calculated cooking time and let cool.
- Keep the stock to one side. Remove the ham and chop it into small pieces. If you are using a 700g joint you should only need half of this. Keep the rest for sandwiches or roast later.
Prepare the Split Peas
- Check there are no pieces of grit in the split peas by pouring them into a bowl and looking through them.
- Put the split peas into a sieve and rinse under a tap to get rid of any dust. Rinse until the water runs clear. Leave to drain.
Prepare the vegetables
- Peel and chop the onions and carrot and chop the celery into small pieces.
- Peel and chop the garlic.
Make the Soup
- Add the butter to the pan and melt on a low heat.
- Add the carrots, garlic, celery and onions. Cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.
- Add the peas to the slow cooker along with the ham
- Add to the slow cooker with the ham or chicken stock, bay leaf and thyme.
- Simmer for an hour and a half until the peas break down and become thick.
- Use a food processor to make the soup smoother, if wanted.
Notes
You can also make this soup in a slow cooker. Just put all the ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours or low for 7 to eight hours