Nothing beats a bowl of split pea soup when it’s cold outside. This recipe has ham, split peas (of course), and bacon. The ham hock releases a lot of flavor as it slowly cooks into the soup. The bacon is good for salty crunch. Add some crusty bread, or a sandwich, and you’ve got lunch.
The original recipe came from the NY Times Cookbook, but I’ve changed it a bit. For one thing, it made up to 10 servings (which means one person would be eating soup for a very long time)! This recipe is only for four servings. Just enough to enjoy it without feeling like you are drowning in split pea soup!
That recipe also called for celeraic (which I never have) and salt pork. Salt pork is fine, but I found it worked really well with bacon (preferably Trader Joe’s no nitrate bacon).
It also freezes well, so you can save some soup for later.
Split Pea Soup with Ham Hock and Bacon
Split pea soup with ham and bacon.
Notes
The prep time assumes you use the quick soak method for the beans.
Put the bay leaf in a tea ball so it's easier to remove.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried green split peas
- 2 quarts cold water (divided)
- 2 slices diced bacon
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 3 T chopped leek (washed thoroughly)
- 1 small bay leaf (or half a large one)
- 1 ham hock (or use a ham bone)
- 1 tsp salt
- generous grinding of pepper
Instructions
- Wash the peas under cold water. Sort through them to remove any stones that may have gotten mixed in. Put in a large pot and add half the water. Let stand overnight. If you're in a hurry, use my quick soaking method for the split peas. Pour out the water, and rinse the peas, then put them back in the pot.
- Cook the bacon in a skillet for five minutes, until browned. Add the onion, carrot, and leek and cook the mixture for another 10 minutes. The vegetables should be soft.
- Add the vegetable/bacon mixture to the pot with the split peas. Add the bay leaf (I like to use a tea ball for this so it's easy to find again), salt, pepper, and the ham hock (or ham bone). Add the rest of the water, cover and bring to a boil (slowly). Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat, uncover, and let the soup simmer for two hours. If it gets too thick, add half a cup of water.
- Once the ham is tender, remove it from the soup. Run it under cool water (so you can handle it), then shred the meat and set it aside. Throw away the bone. Fish out the bay leaf (or just remove the tea ball) and discard that too.
- Using a hand blender, puree the soup. (If you don’t have a hand blender, use a standard blender with the cap off and a towel over the opening. This lets the steam escape and keeps the soup from flying everywhere).
- Put the meat back into the soup and adjust seasoning as needed. Serve hot.
Substitutions and Variations for Split Pea Soup with Ham Hock
- cut up a frankfurter or a chunk of kielbasa, cook it and add it to the soup
- top with croutons
- cook some extra bacon, crumble it, and top the soup with it
- add freshly grated parmesan cheese
- add a parmesan or Manchego cheese rind to the soup while it’s simmering
More Soup Recipes
Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Small Batch)
An Italian classic, downsized for one person. It’s packed with flavor from pancetta, beans, rosemary and garlic. Filling too. It’s enough for a meal by itself.
Easy Ham and Lentil Soup for One Person
Wonderful comfort food for chilly days. Only needs a single pot and a few basic ingredients.
Britain meets India in this fusion soup spiced with cumin and cinnamon. The Tamil provided the spices, and the British added meat.
Nothing fancy or complicated, just filling hot soup. Just like my grandma used to make (but in a smaller batch).
Image of soup in blender with towel thanks to joelk75