Split Pea Soup Recipe
Servings: 8 - 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried green split peas be sure to remove any stones and give the split peas a good rinse in your strainer. You don't have to soak the peas as you do with many other varieties
- 2 smoked ham hocks or 2 fresh ham hocks or 1 leftover meaty ham bone
- 5 cups water
- 5 cups chicken stock
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley chopped fine
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 1 large onion chopped fine
- 2 carrots chopped fine
- 1 leek the white part of the leak only - sliced - be sure to wash the leek well after it is sliced. There is often a lot of grit between the leaves. I use my salad spinner for this job.
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup spinach leaves slivered
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the water and chicken stock in a large soup pot or stockpot. Add the split peas and bring them to a boil.
- Add the ham hocks, half the parsley, the fresh thyme, and celery. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes with the cover partially on. Be sure to stir it every 10 or 15 minutes.
- Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add the onion, leek, garlic, and carrots.
- Sauté until the vegetables are soft and add them to the pot.
- Add the spinach and simmer for 30 minutes, again partially covered.
- Turn off the heat and remove the ham hocks. Using a small paring knife, remove the meat from the hocks being sure to trim off and discard any fatty pieces. Cut the meat up into pieces and return to the pot.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper. Add the rest of the parsley and serve.
Notes
The New Basics Cookbook also uses 2 tablespoons of dry Sherry with this recipe.
Although I think it would be a great addition, I was serving this to my kids and I didn't think they would appreciate the flavor so I left it out. You could bring some sherry to the table for anyone who might be interested in adding it him or herself.
My 10-year-old daughter loved this soup by the way. Without the sherry of course!