Split Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 lb of dried split peas
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks of celery, diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 ham hock, extra fat remove from the outside of the hock
  • 8 cups of chicken stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, & celery. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds before adding stock, split peas, ham hock, bay leaf and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Cover and cook over low heat for at least 3-3 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Slowly break up the ham from the bone a little every time you stir the soup then remove any fat or bone from the ham hock along the way.

Make sure all fat and bone have been remove from the soup. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Remove the bay leaf and ladle into bowls. Serve with salad and bread if desired. Enjoy.