If you’re at all curious about what to do with leftover ham, look no further than a delicious split pea soup! The soup mixes so well with the salty flavor of ham, and it’s a great way to continue to enjoy it while still making a completely new dish.
For our recipe, we started off by making a slightly hammy broth by cooking the ham with the peas right from the start. The trick is to boil the ham right in the soup all in one piece. If you use a nice, large cut of ham, it’ll flavor the soup, then you can take it out and set aside to shred after the peas and carrots have almost completely broken down. Keep reading below for this delightful recipe…
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, chopped fine
- salt and pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 cups water
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1lb ham in large pieces
- 1 ham bone (optional)
- 1lb green split peas, picked over and rinsed
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 1 celery rib, cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Directions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently until softened (about 3-5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, chicken stock, ham, ham bone, peas, bacon, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart (about 45 minutes).
- Remove the ham and ham bone, cover with aluminum foil, and set aside. Stir in the carrots and celery and continue to simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and peas have almost complete broken down (about 30 minutes longer).
- Once cool enough to handle, shred the ham into bite-sized pieces with 2 forks. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Stir the ham back into the soup and return to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the lemon juice then serve.
- Enjoy!
Recipe adapted fromTaking On Magazines