1 pound carrots (peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices)
3 stalks of celery (cut into 1/2-inch thick slices)
4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 smoked ham hock or shank
1 pound dried split peas (rinsed)
7 cups chicken (turkey, or vegetable stock)
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves
Kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Bread (for serving alongside)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 shallots, cut in half lengthwise
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
American
Steps
Heat the olive oil in large pot over medium low heat. Add the onions and raise the heat to medium, then sauté until softened and translucent and some pieces turn lightly golden around the edges, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every 4 minutes or so. Add the garlic and stir to incorporate and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, 2 teaspoons of the thyme, and the bay leaf and stir to combine. Allow to cook for another 10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so.
Nestle the ham hock in the vegetable mixture, then add the split peas and the broth and reduce heat to low. Cover the pot and allow to cook until the split peas have mostly disintegrated into the soup mixture, about 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.
During the last 30 minutes of soup simmering, you can prepare the seared shallots. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots, cut-side facing down, and cook until lightly golden and fragrant on each side. Remove from heat and set aside.
Remove the ham hock from the soup and place it on a wooden cutting board. Remove any meat pieces from the hock and chop the meat into roughly 1/2-wide cubes.
Stir the pieces of meat into the soup, remove the pot from heat, and immediately stir in the fresh or frozen peas, the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme, and the parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. Serve with the toasted pumpkin seeds and seared shallots on top and some good bread on the side for dipping.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 379 kcal
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Protein: 24 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 43 mg
Sodium: 101 mg
Sugar: 7 g
Reviews
Quotner on 2025-03-21 (5 stars): Thanks for Suggestion.
Richard Parker on 2024-03-26 (5 stars): Good Day.
When you say “nestle the ham hock in the vegetable mixture”, is this with the skin removed first?
If not, is there a lot of fat to skim off at some point?
My mom used to make ham and pea soup when I was a boy in England, c 1955, but I never knew how she actually prepared it.
Thank you. This seems like a great recipe.
Felisha Dix on 2024-01-06 (5 stars): We love the different textures in this soup from the celery, carrots, fresh peas and shallots, which made this soup so perfect! The Thyme really popped as a final topping alongside the shallots too. We will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Fosterbeach on 2023-02-27 (5 stars): Delicious and easy! The frozen peas and parsley at the end give it a touch of fresh sweetness. I’ll definitely make this again.
Timothy Woods on 2021-12-21 (5 stars): Hello!
Just wanted to let you know that my wife and I tried this recipe the other night. It so happens that my inlaws were there too. They like the recipe so much that they ask for the leftovers to go!
Anyways, thanks a lot for sharing this. Excited to send the next recipe here to my wife.
Have a great day!
