Split Pea Soup with Ham

About This Recipe

Split pea soup with ham is deeply rooted in Canadian home cooking, particularly in French-Canadian households where it's sometimes called soupe aux pois. A smoked ham hock simmered for hours does double duty, seasoning the broth with smoky depth while slowly giving up tender meat that gets shredded back into the finished soup. The split peas themselves need no soaking, unlike whole dried peas, and simply need a long, patient simmer until they break down completely and thicken the broth into something substantial enough to coat a spoon heavily. A base of onion, carrot and celery cooked down first builds sweetness that balances the smokiness of the ham. Served with a thick slice of crusty bread, this soup is built to fight off a Canadian winter, the kind of dish grandmothers keep simmering on the stove for hours on a snowy afternoon.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 cupsdried split peas(rinsed)
• 1smoked ham hock
• 8 cupswater or chicken stock
• 1yellow onion(diced)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 2 stalkscelery(diced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspdried thyme
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt(to taste)
• 0.5 tspblack pepper

Instructions

1. 1

   Combine and simmer

   Combine split peas, ham hock, water, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves and thyme in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce to a low simmer.

2. 2

   Cook slowly

   Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 90 minutes to 2 hours until the peas have completely broken down and the ham is falling off the bone.

   Split peas don't need soaking, but they do need real time — rushing the simmer leaves the soup thin and the peas gritty instead of creamy.

3. 3

   Remove the ham hock

   Lift out the ham hock, shred the meat off the bone, and discard the bone, skin and bay leaves.

4. 4

   Return the meat

   Stir the shredded ham back into the soup.

5. 5

   Season

   Season with salt and pepper to taste, keeping in mind the ham hock already adds saltiness.

6. 6

   Adjust consistency

   If the soup is too thick, thin with a splash of water or stock; if too thin, simmer uncovered a bit longer.

7. 7

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Variations

• •

  Use a meaty ham bone from a holiday ham instead of a hock if you have leftovers.

• •

  Add a diced potato for extra heartiness.

• •

  Make it vegetarian with smoked paprika and vegetable stock in place of the ham hock, though the flavor will be milder.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days; the soup thickens considerably as it sits, so thin with water or stock when reheating. Freezes well up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions