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Split Pea and Ham Soup

Source of Recipe

Sheila


List of Ingredients

1 pound dried green split peas, sorted and rinsed
5 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)
5 cups water
1 meaty ham bone, or 2 smoked ham hocks (buy add'l ham to dice if you use hocks)
2 ribs celery, leaves included, diced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/2 teaspoon (or so) thyme
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup slivered fresh spinach leaves
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Combine split peas with stock and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil

Add the ham bone, celery, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and the thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic. Cook until the vegetables are wilted, 10 minutes, stirring frequently soas not to burn garlic. Add them to the soup pot, along with the spinach. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup from heat. Remove the ham bone, and shred the meat from the bone (if using ham hocks, you may wish to purchase ham to dice and add at this point). Return the meat to the soup.

Add the sherry, pepper, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Heat through

makes 6 portions