Split Pea Soup
Canadian split pea soup with ham and split peas is a hearty and warming dish that simmers for hours and transforms into a tender cream with pieces of meat.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Ham
- 200 g Split peas
- 2 pcs Onion
- 2 pcs Carrot
- 2 pcs Bay leaf
- 1 pcs Celery
- 300 g Frozen peas
- Bread
Instructions
- Place the ham in a large pot, pour in 2 liters of water and bring to a boil. Drain the water—this will help remove excess saltiness. Pour 2 liters of cold water over the ham and bring to a boil again.
- Add the split peas, onions, carrot, bay leaf, and celery to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5–2.5 hours. As the water evaporates, top it up to keep the liquid level approximately the same. As the ham softens, you can break it in half to help it cook better.
- When the ham becomes tender and easily shreds on a fork, remove it from the pot. Let it cool slightly, then remove the skin and shred the meat into strips. Remove the bay leaf from the soup, add the frozen peas and simmer for 1 minute.
- Blend the soup with an immersion blender until smooth. If the soup is too thick, dilute it with a small amount of water. Return to the heat and warm through if it has cooled.
- When serving, ladle the soup into bowls, add most of the ham, and garnish with the remaining meat on top. Serve with crusty bread and butter.