Hordes of Ham Split Pea Soup

Rob’s dad loves split pea soup – as long as there is A LOT of ham in it! My leftover spiral cut ham from a Christmas event was the perfect reason to send something special his way. The best part was it had the bone,  so I not only had plenty of the meat to add to the soup, I could make a fresh stock for it as well ….  which makes the best split pea soup. If you are wondering what to do with your leftover ham and ham bone, try this earthy comfort food favorite with it’s rich smoky aroma and filling warmth.

After trimming all the ham you can from the bone, put it in a soup kettle wth the following:

 Ingredients for Split Pea and Ham Soup Stock:

• 1 ham bone
• 1 large rib celery, chopped, or the celery center with leaves
• 1 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 1 onion, peeled and quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 bay leaf
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Water to cover

 Directions to make Ham Stock:

Combine all ingredients and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for one hour. This will pull all the marrow from the bone, the essence from any leftover meat and gather flavor from the aromatic vegetables in there. It really can’t be duplicated with store-bought stock, but if that’s what you’ve got – don’t let it stop you from making this hearty and delicious soup! And if you don’t have ham stock at all, try chicken stock.

After cooking the stock for the hour, strain, and add back into the soup kettle. Pick off  any remaining meat from the bone to add to the soup, and you are ready to make it!

Recipe for Ham and Split Pea Soup:

• 5 cups ham stock
• 1/2 bag green split peas
• 2 carrots, small dice
• Ham, cubed – as much as you like or have. I used  1  3/4 cups!
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Several twists of freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions for Ham and Split Pea Soup:

Stir everything together, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Stirring occasionally, cook slowly for about 40 minutes.

Cooking split peas is fun because after they cook for 35 minutes or so ( looking like you’ll have to put them through a blender to create a creamy consistency)  all of a sudden they just melt, and Voila! you have a smooth, rich soup.

 If the soup is too thick for your liking at this point, add water or stock to thin it out. If too thin, just simmer and stir until you are happy with it. Only when it is to your liking check for salt. If using a fresh ham bone in this manner, you may not need to add any at all. Garnish with some fresh or dried thyme or some more diced ham. We ate ours with some nice crusty bread so we could scoop every last bit from the bowl.

Note: This soup thickens up to an almost solid when refrigerated (especially when using a ham bone, which gives a great deal of gelatine to the soup), so you may have to thin it when reheating. And do reheat on low to avoid scorching.

Still have more ham? Try these creamy and delicious  Scalloped Potatoes With Ham and Onion !

Update: Thank You Chef Bliss for the award for this recipe!