by Burnt Offerings
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AntoniaJames's Testing Notes:
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Expand1 pound dried, green split peas, rinsed and picked over for stones. Ask a question about this ingredient
2 pounds smoked hamhock Ask a question about this ingredient
2 tablespoons Extra Virgin olive Oil Ask a question about this ingredient
1 large onion, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
3 - 4 large carrots, peeled and diced Ask a question about this ingredient
4 ribs celery, diced Ask a question about this ingredient
3 cloves of garlic, minced Ask a question about this ingredient
3 Bay leaves Ask a question about this ingredient
1 sprig each of fresh: rosemary, sage, thyme, marjoram Ask a question about this ingredient
6 whole black peppercorns Ask a question about this ingredient
3 quarts homemade chicken stock Ask a question about this ingredient
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Freshly ground pepper and smoke paprika to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Heat the olive oil in a deep stockpot and add the onions, carrots and celery. Saute' until soft, about 12 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepAdd the garlic and bay leaves and cook for 2 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepMake a Bouquet Garni using the fresh herbs and peppercorns. Tie tightly and place into pot.
Ask a question about this stepPour the peas into the pot, and nestle the hamhock on top
Ask a question about this stepPour stock over all, add salt, and bring to boil
Ask a question about this stepReduce heat to simmer, cover and gently simmer for 2.5 hours, skimming foam from the top and stirring occasionally.
Ask a question about this stepAfter simmering, remove ham hock from soup and cool. Remove Bouquet Garni and discard.
Ask a question about this stepChop up the ham hock and return to pot.
Ask a question about this stepSeason soup with more salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper and some smoked paprika to taste.
Ask a question about this stepServe piping hot with crusty bread or oyster crackers. Garnish with a drizzle of your best olive oil and some crumbled bacon.
Ask a question about this stepAm dying to try this recipe, but I'm a vegetarian! :-\ Is there anything I substitute for the hamhock?
It's equally delicious without the ham hock, but if you want a smoky flavor you could add some smoked tofu, or a few drops of Liquid Smoke. If you eat fish - smoked salmon is an awesome substitute. Just add it at the end when you serve it.
This sounds delicious! But I wonder, if ham hocks are not available, could I use smoked bacon? If so how much?
If smoked ham hocks are not available, I would use a package of pancetta, or a half pound of good bacon cut into lardons, and render it until crispy. Remove from the bacon / pancetta from the pot, omit the olive oil, and just saute the veggies in the bacon / pancetta fat. I would buy some good smoked ham if you can find some and dice it up and toss it in. Sprinkle the bacon crumbles on top.
Made this tonight with a ham bone I had been saving in the freezer for just such an occasion. Great soup! The only change I should have made was to wait until the end to add salt. The ham on the bone I used must have been extra salty, and I used a little bacon grease from breakfast to saute the veggies. The end product was good but salty. I'll def. make this recipe again.
Split pea soup has always been a favorite of mine except when I made it! This time it was delicious and gave that comforting taste that I enjoy. Thanks for sharing. I made it for our band practice and the minute they all enjoyed it greatly. I believe the long cooking time made the difference.
The long cooking time essentially means you don't have to puree it, and I like it a little on the thick and chunky side. So glad you all liked it!
Yep, you did it exactly right then! So glad you enjoyed it. Super simple, super cheap, so hearty and delicious. I usually need to thin mine out with stock after the first day or so. It freezes beautifully if you start to get tired of it.
Made this last night! Yum. Many other recipes I saw online listed salt pork as an ingredient, but I definitely think the smoked ham hocks are the way to go. Added three medium potatoes and ended up doubling the amount of peas for the thickest soup imaginable... maybe it was too much but I can always thin with stock and have even more delicious soup. Made 16 cups with the extra ingredients. I ate the soup this morning with homemade wheat bread, it was as thick as hummus and so good. So hearty I didn't eat lunch until 3 p.m.!
Chef Michael Kiss is the Cooking Coach at Whole Foods Market in Rockville, Md.
My husband's family is Dutch and they had Split pea soup they called Ercha soup later found out it is spelled Ertensoep (little earth soup) and made it on Christmas eve every year. This is to celebrate the winter solstice not only because it is delicious winter comfort food but because the split peas signify the earth coming back to green after the long winter. I love the pagan tradition this represents. I have been making spit pea soup in all varieties, vegetarian or with bacon, sausage, pancetta, ham etc.... for years and especially on the solstice or Christmas eve.
You can certainly enjoy Split pea soup without meat easily as it does not need a smokey flavor to be delicious. When I was learning to cook I was a vegetarian and followed recipes from the Moosewood cook book which called for a dash of vinegar at the end of the cooking time.