Description
A hearty and comforting Split Pea Soup with Ham, featuring tender split peas simmered with a smoked ham shank, carrots, and aromatic vegetables. This traditional rustic soup is perfect for a warming dinner and delivers rich flavors with a creamy texture and satisfying chunks of ham.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 smoked ham shank
- 48 ounces chicken broth or stock (can substitute 32 ounces broth + 2 cups water)
- 3 cups split peas (one pound)
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, diced
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional
- 1-2 cups diced ham (for a meatier, heartier soup)
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion and sauté for a few minutes until the onions soften and become translucent, releasing their flavors.
- Add Main Ingredients: Place the smoked ham shank into the pot along with the chicken broth, split peas, bay leaves, and minced garlic. Stir everything together to combine, ensuring the peas are submerged in liquid.
- Bring to Boil and Simmer: Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, cover the pot and reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Let the soup cook until the peas are tender and starting to break down, approximately 1 hour.
- Add Carrots: About 30 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the diced carrots to the pot to cook through without becoming overly soft.
- Remove Ham and Bay Leaves: Carefully take out the ham shank and set it aside on a plate. Remove and discard the bay leaves from the soup.
- Shred Ham Meat: Once the ham is cool enough to handle, shred the meat from the bone and set aside.
- Blend Soup for Texture: Use an immersion blender to briefly blend the soup. This step partially purees some of the split peas to create a creamy texture while retaining plenty of chunky texture. You can blend more if you prefer a smoother soup.
- Finish and Season: Return the shredded ham and, if desired, add diced ham for extra meatiness. Season the soup with black pepper and salt as needed. Stir well to combine and heat through if necessary before serving.
Notes
- Using a smoked ham shank or hock adds outstanding depth of smoky flavor, usually eliminating the need for additional seasoning.
- Leftover soup will thicken when refrigerated. You can thin it out with a splash of water or broth when reheating to achieve your desired consistency.
- Adding carrots later in cooking retains their texture, preventing them from becoming mushy.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 8g
- Protein: 18g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
