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[[ Diabetic · Pork · Meat · Soup · Dinner · Lunch ]]

Pea and Ham Soup

A thick, hearty soup made from slow-simmered ham hock and green split peas. It has a smoky, savoury depth with a naturally creamy texture from the peas breaking down. Good for cold days and easy enough to leave mostly on its own while it cooks.

Time: 2 h 30 min
Effort: Low
Steps: 7

4 of the steps have a timer you can start with one tap.

Pencil drawing of Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

4 to feed

1 whole ham hock
2 whole bay leaves
6 whole black peppercorns
2 L cold water
400 g green split peas
2 whole medium carrots
2 whole celery stalks
1 whole medium onion
3 cloves garlic cloves
15 ml olive oil
1 tsp flaky sea salt
0.5 tsp black pepper

How it goes

PrepPrep the vegetables
CookSimmer the ham hock · Rest and shred the hock · Sweat the vegetables · Build and simmer the soup
FinishFinish and season
PlateServe

Method

Prep the vegetables
Rinse 400g split peas under cold water until the water runs clear. Dice 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 onion into roughly 1cm pieces — uniform size means they cook evenly. Mince 3 cloves garlic.
Simmer the ham hock
Place the ham hock in your Dutch oven with 2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, and 2L cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce immediately to a gentle simmer — just a few lazy bubbles. Lid on, cook for 1.5 hours. In the first 10 minutes, skim any grey foam that rises to the surface with a spoon.
Rest and shred the hock
Lift the hock out with tongs and rest on a board for 10 minutes — it's too hot to handle immediately and the meat firms up slightly as it cools. Strain the stock through a sieve and reserve every drop. Discard the peppercorns and bay leaves. Once cool enough to handle, pull the ham off the bone with two forks, discarding skin and any large fatty deposits. Keep the pieces generous — small shreds disappear into the soup.
Sweat the vegetables
Return the pot to medium heat. Add 15ml olive oil, then the diced onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and the onion is translucent. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds until fragrant.
Build and simmer the soup
Add the rinsed 400g split peas, then pour in the reserved ham stock. Top up with water if needed so everything is submerged by at least 3–4cm — the peas will absorb a lot of liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low, steady simmer. Lid slightly ajar, cook for 45–55 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Finish and season
Stir the shredded ham back through the soup. Taste for salt — ham hocks vary wildly in salt content. Season with flaky sea salt only after tasting, then crack black pepper generously over the top.
Serve
Ladle into deep bowls. A few torn flat-leaf parsley leaves add colour and a faint freshness that works well against the richness. Serve on its own or with a small slice of seeded grain bread.