Split Pea Soup with Ham

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The thought of eating or making Split Pea Soup was never something I wanted to do or try. Seeing a bowl of brown/green mushy peas will change my appetite quickly… Who would want to eat that?  When I asked Bill many years ago to give me a list of food he would like to have for his birthday dinner, Split Pea Soup was right there at the top.  Really?  Wanting to make him happy, I was willing to try and make it. By chance, I came upon a recipe in Cuisine At Home magazine that looked appealing enough for me to try and make.  The addition of frozen peas in the soup was different from the other recipes I’ve seen.  It turned out delicious and as a result, I served it at Bill’s birthday party and everybody liked it.  As for Bill, he ate it all up and asked for a second helping.

This is the one and only Split Pea and Ham Soup recipe I’ve made over the years and now our kids are enjoying it too.

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Serving the soup in little 3-ounce sorbet cups with bite size grilled cheese sandwiches is a fun idea to try or as an appetizer at a casual small gathering.

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{print recipe, Here}
makes about 7-8 cups

Ingredients

2       sliced bacon strips
1       tablespoon unsalted butter
1       cup onion, diced
1       cup celery, diced
1       cup carrots, sliced
1/4   cup dry sherry  or  white wine
4       cups chicken broth
2       cups water
1       cup green split peas, rinsed
1       bay leaf
1       teaspoon dried thyme leaves {2 teaspoons fresh thyme}
2       cups frozen green peas
2       cups cooked ham, diced
1/4   cup minced fresh parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Place the two bacon strips in a large stockpot over medium heat and cook for 5-7 minutes until done {slightly brown}, turning the strips over often to keep from burning. Drain the excess grease.

In the same pot over medium heat, add cooked bacon strips, butter, onion, celery and carrot.

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Stir the vegetables and bacon together.  Once the butter is melted, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until vegetables are soft and translucent.  This is to “sweat”, but not to brown, the vegetables.

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Bring the heat up to medium-high and add dry sherry/white wine, and let it reduce to nearly evaporated.

Add broth, water, split peas, thyme, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, partially covered for 1 – 1 1/2 hours or until peas are tender.

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Remove bacon and bay leaf, then puree 2 cups of soup in a blender.  Return the pureed mixture to  the pot.

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Add frozen peas, ham, parsley, salt, and pepper.

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Stir soup and simmer for 3-4 minutes until heated through.

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Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream mixture and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

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{click on the recipes below}
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Salmon Chowder
Chicken and Rice Soup
Sausage Minestrone Soup
Sausage and Eggplant Soup
. . . . . .

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 {print Split Pea Soup with Ham recipe, Here}

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posted by: Kay aa