Split Pea and Ham Soup

By jeaninemg

Why this recipe works:

We wanted a spoon-coating, richly flavorful broth studded with tender shreds of sweet-smoky meat, all without requiring the old-fashioned ham bone traditionally used to infuse the soup with flavor. Substituting ham hocks made the soup greasy and was skimpy on the meat. Ham steak, however, was plenty meaty and infused the soup with a fuller pork flavor. Without the bone, our soup needed richness and smokiness, and adding a few strips of raw bacon to the pot did the job. Unsoaked peas broke down just as well as soaked and were better at absorbing the flavor of the soup. (less)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, chopped fine (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Table salt
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
• 7 cups water
• 1 ham steak (about 1 pound), skin removed, cut into quarters
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon (about 4 ounces) (see note)
• 1 pound green split peas (about 2 cups), picked through and rinsed
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium celery rib, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• Ground black pepper

Details

Servings 6
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 95mins
Adapted from americastestkitchen.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add onion and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer, stirring frequently to keep peas from sticking to bottom. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.

2. Remove ham steak, cover with foil or plastic wrap to prevent drying out, and set aside. Stir in carrots and celery; continue to simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.

3. When cool enough to handle, shred ham into small bite-size pieces with two forks. Remove and discard thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Stir ham back into soup and return to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper; serve.