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Pea and Ham Soup - leftover Xmas ham

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

  • 30 g Butter
  • 1 Onion sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
  • 1 leg ham bone or smoked ham hock
  • 2 cups green split peas
  • 3 cups frozen baby peas
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 sprig of mint

Instructions

  • In a large Saucepan (big enough to hold the leg bone) melt the butter over a medium/low heat. Add the sliced onions and sweat until softened about 7 minutes add garlic and saute for 3 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cover the split peas with water and allow to soak.
  • Add the leg ham bone and cover with water (approx 2 1/2 - 3 liters of water), bring to a simmer and reduce heat, cooking until the ham meat falls from bone about 1 1/2 hrs.
  • Once the ham has cooked, remove the bone and meat and allow to cool.
  • Drain the split peas and then add to the saucepan, cooking until the pulses are soft around 45 mins.
  • Meanwhile, remove the meat from the bones and shred. Discard the bones.
  • When pulses are cooked add 2 cups of the baby peas and cook for 10 minutes.
  • Blend the soup until smooth and place back onto the heat.
  • Add the shredded ham (reserving some for garnish optional) and the remaining cup of baby peas and cook until ham and peas are heated through.
  • Serve in bowls topped with some shredded ham and finely shredded mint leaves.

Notes

  • If you don't have a ham bone you can purchase one from any good deli or simply replace with a smoked ham hock.
  • Also if you don't have baby peas just use regular frozen peas.
  • Also you could freeze the ham bone and make the soup later when you have a craving or make the soup now and freeze for later. I personally make the soup now, soup portions take up less room in the freezer and then when I have the craving I can satisfy it immediately.
  • This is a truly fantastic recipe for using every possible morsel off the ham bone including the skin and the bone itself.