Description
A hearty and comforting Split Pea Soup made with dried split peas, ham hocks, fresh vegetables, and seasoned with thyme. This classic recipe simmers to tender perfection, offering a rich depth of flavor and a choice of chunky, partially pureed, or smooth texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 pound dried split peas
- 1/4 cup salted butter
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium celery ribs, sliced
- 3 medium carrots, sliced
- 4 cups water
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 ham hocks
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and Prepare Split Peas: Place 1 pound dried split peas in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Remove any debris or discolored peas, then drain well.
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt 1/4 cup salted butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add diced white onion, sliced celery ribs, and sliced carrots. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until onions are soft and translucent.
- Add Liquids and Ham Hocks: Stir in the rinsed split peas, 4 cups water, and 6 cups chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add 2 ham hocks and 2 teaspoons dried thyme.
- Simmer Soup: Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until peas are tender and ham is easily removed from the bones.
- Prepare Ham: Remove the ham hocks from the pot. Shred the ham, discarding the bones, and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Adjust Texture: For chunky soup, leave the soup as is and stir in the shredded ham. For partially pureed, use an immersion blender to blend part of the soup leaving some chunks. For smooth texture, puree the soup completely in a blender or with an immersion blender.
- Finalize and Serve: Stir the chopped ham back into the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, omit ham hocks and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- To speed up cooking, soak split peas for a few hours before cooking.
- Use an immersion blender carefully to control the texture of the soup.
- Leftovers taste better after a day as flavors meld.
- Serve with crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg
