Pea & Ham Soup

Thick, comforting split pea soup with smoky ham and a slow-simmered, savoury depth that tastes even better the next day.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil (or other neutral oil)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 celery ribs, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups (400g) dried split peas, rinsed well (green or yellow)
• 1 meaty ham hock (about 1–1.2kg / 2–2.5 lb) *or* 450–600g (1–1.3 lb) smoked ham, diced
• 8 cups (2 litres) water (or unsalted stock if you have it)
• 2 bay leaves (optional but recommended)
• 1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbsp fresh)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, plus more to finish
• Salt, to taste (add at the end—ham varies)

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Build the flavour base

  Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and sweet (about 8–10 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (30 seconds).

• 2

  Step 2: Add peas + ham

  Stir in split peas, then add ham hock (or diced smoked ham), water, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce to a low simmer.

• 3

  Step 3: Slow simmer

  Simmer uncovered (or partially covered if it’s bubbling too hard) for 75–90 minutes, stirring every 10–15 minutes toward the end so the peas don’t catch on the base. You’re looking for peas that collapse into a thick, porridge-like soup and a ham hock that’s very tender.

• 4

  Step 4: Shred the ham (if using hock)

  Remove ham hock to a board. When cool enough to handle, shred the meat, discarding skin and excess fat. Return the shredded ham to the pot.

• 5

  Step 5: Adjust texture + season

  For a smoother soup, blitz briefly with a stick blender (10–20 seconds) to thicken while keeping some texture. If it’s thicker than you like, loosen with a splash of water and simmer 2 minutes. Taste and salt only as needed (ham can be salty).

• 6

  Step 6: Serve

  Ladle into bowls and finish with a crack of black pepper. Resting 10 minutes off the heat before serving makes it even thicker and silkier.

Tips

• **Best ham choice:** A **meaty ham hock** gives the deepest flavour; diced smoked ham is faster and still excellent.
• **Prevent sticking:** Split peas can settle—stir more often during the last 20 minutes when the soup thickens.
• **Make-ahead:** This soup gets thicker overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen.
• **Storage:** Refrigerate up to 4 days; freeze up to 3 months (thaw overnight, reheat slowly).
• **Serving ideas:** Great with buttered toast or crusty bread (if you have it), and extra black pepper on top.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)