This creamy
one-pot split pea soup is a rich, satisfying, and cozy meal that’s not just for St. Patrick’s Day or Easter. A smoked ham hock adds savory, meaty goodness to this soup, while carrots provide a pop of sweetness. Three kinds of alliums (leeks, onions, and garlic) bring on major depth. Sold yet? Here are some more tips on how to make it the best it can be:
The ham hock:
You might not know that most grocery stores stock smoked ham hocks in the butcher department. They’re a great way to enrich soups and stocks with extra smoky flavor and body. With this recipe, you capture all the flavor from the bone and skin of the ham hock, then you shred the meat and add it back to your soup so there’s very little waste.
The peas:
Split peas are also easy to find with other dried and canned beans at the grocery store. Just be sure to grab split, not whole, peas. Split peas will cook faster and don’t need to be presoaked before they’re simmered into soup. After about an hour, your peas will be super-tender and easily puréed.
How to puree:
The pureeing step adds a wonderful creamy texture to your soup and enhances the flavors by melding them together even further. Of course, if you don’t have a blender or immersion blender, you can skip that step, and the soup will still be incredible.
Substitutions & serving:
If you’d like to make a vegetarian version of this split pea soup, simply omit the ham hock and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth. If you still want to capture that smoky flavor, you can add a dash of smoked paprika. We recommend serving hot bowls of pea and ham soup with a fluffy dinner roll or Southern-style cornbread on the side to soak up every drop.
Storage:
This soup is a great make-ahead dinner. You can freeze individual portions for up to 6 months. If you find that the soup is thicker than you’d like after defrosting, simply add more broth or water to reach your desired texture. Then warm it on the stove and dig in!
If you make this, be sure to tell us what you think with a comment and rating below!