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Split Pea Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings 6 - 8
Author Margaret Bose Johnson

Ingredients

  • 1 large meaty ham bone or smoked ham hock about 1½ lbs (700 grams) or more
  • 1 lb (450 g/2¼ cups) split green or yellow peas
  • 2 cups (250 g/2 medium) finely chopped yellow onions,
  • 1½ cups (200 g/3 stalks) finely diced celery,
  • 1½ cups (250 g/2 large) diced carrots (½-inch/1 cm)
  • 2 tablespoons oil or butter
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram (or ½ tsp. oregano or thyme))
  • 8 cups (2 litres) water
  • 1-2 cups of extra diced or shredded cooked ham, if desired

Instructions

  • Put the ham bone and all the other ingredients except the extra diced or shredded ham into a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or a 5 to 6 quart dutch oven.
  • Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
  • Simmer the soup for 2½ hours or longer, until the split peas have completely broken down to a silky smoothness. This could take longer at higher altitudes or if the peas are older. Lift the lid occasionally and stir the soup to redistribute any thickness that settles on the bottom of the pot.
  • If the soup is too thin for your liking, remove the lid for the last half hour or so, raise the temperature a bit, and cook the soup until it is reduced and thickened as desired. Remember that the soup will thicken more upon cooling.
  • Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
  • Remove the ham bone and the bay leaves. (By this time the bone may have come apart, so you might have to scoop it out in pieces.) Let the bone cool for a few minutes, then cut off any bits of meat, and dice them or shred them. Add the ham bits back to the soup or reserve them to add on top of each bowl as it is served. If you are adding extra ham to the soup, add it and cook the soup for a few minutes to warm them through.
  • Makes 8 to 10 cups of soup, depending on how much the liquid is reduced.

Notes

Split pea soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 6 months. It will thicken a lot upon cooling. When reheating the soup, you will need to add water to thin it out, along with a sprinkle of extra salt to season the water added.