I made a 10-pound ham last week and the Ziplock bag of perfect-for-sandwich slices I had cut off the bone had gone a couple of days without being touched— by anyone. This is the point in a leftover’s life where I take it upon myself to sweep in like a triage nurse and save the poor vestiage of a previous night’s dinner on its downhill slide into the garbage.
Split pea and ham soup had been calling my name for a couple of weeks and now I had the perfect excuse to make it. There is something about the way the little dried peas break down into a creamy mass that makes it one of my go-to comfort foods. Some take that inherent creaminess to another level and puree the whole thing, but I like to leave mine chunky, it seems more filling that way.
The color of pea soup is always used as an insult, but I think it has a subtle beauty that is well suited for the late winter table and apparently my family agrees, because there is none left. Another leftover tragedy averted.
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Split Pea and Ham Soup Recipe
- Yield: 6–8 1x
Scale
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, medium diced
- 3 medium leeks, washed, cut in half vertically and thinly sliced (light green and white parts only)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium carrots, medium diced
- 2 stalks cerely, medium diced
- 12 ounces smoked ham, medium diced
- 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed
- 12 cups stock, broth or water
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek and garlic and season with black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add ham, carrot, and celery and season again with black pepper. Cook until veggies start to brown, about 6 minutes.
- Add peas, stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered until peas are tender and starting to fall apart, about 1 hour. Taste and add salt and more pepper if necessary.
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