Soups – Ham and Pea Soup
There are many ways to make this soup, and you can use split green or yellow split peas, depending on what you prefer or what you have in your pantry. I personally prefer the green ones and use the yellow ones to make fava, which is a hummus-like dip. You can leave the soup chunky or puree it until thick and smooth; it totally depends on you. I like to add cumin seeds and coriander seeds that have been dry fried to bring out their flavor and a dried red chili, but you don’t need to use these things. If you want a spicier soup than normal, use a teaspoon of coriander seeds and 2 cumin seeds, dry fry them for a minute or two until they release their aroma, and add them to the soup when you add the water. Crumbled dried red chile can also be added at this time. This recipe is for the traditional Green Pea Soup with Ham. I hope you like it!
Ingredients
750 gr ham hock or knuckle, washed and rinsed
500g split green peas, cleaned to remove any dirt or grit
1 large onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, cut and halved
4 medium carrots, cleaned and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, halved
2 large sprigs of thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
8 sprigs of parsley either curly or flat
2 bay leaves, torn but still intact
10 black peppercorns
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
4-6 allspice berries (optional)
sprigs of parsley to garnish each bowl if desired
method
Put the knuckle or knuckle and peas in a large saucepan and cover with 2½ liters of Water A and bring to a boil. Remove any scum that comes to the surface.
You can fry the onion, garlic and carrots gently in olive oil, or just add them to the pan after removing the scum along with the herbs and spices.
Partially cover the pan and cook over low heat for an hour and a half.
Check that the peas are cooked and if necessary cook for another half hour with the lid on.
When the soup ingredients are cooked, remove the knuckle and allow it to cool before removing the skin, then flake the meat off the bone with a fork. Return this to the pan and mix well, then blend the soup in batches until smooth.
Reheat the soup and serve in warm bowls, garnishing with parsley sprigs if using.
Bon Appetite!
