Pea and Ham Soup (slow cooker or stove)

Name: Pea and Ham Soup (slow cooker or stove)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 600 min
Total time: 610 min
Ingredients: 500 g dried split peas; 1.2-1.5 kg ham hock (aka ham bone, bacon hock or MEATY leftover ham bone ((Note 2))); 1/4 tsp salt ((start with less, adjust later)); 3/4 tsp black pepper; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 8 cups 2 litres/qts water; Parsley, finely chopped; Crusty bread for dunking!

Print Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 10 10

Course Dinner, Soups

Cuisine Western

Servings 6 servings

Calories 509 kcal

Ingredients

500 g dried split peas
1.2-1.5 kg ham hock - aka ham bone, bacon hock or MEATY leftover ham bone ((Note 2))
¼ tsp salt - (start with less, adjust later)
¾ tsp black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
8 cups 2 litres/qts water
Parsley, finely chopped
Crusty bread for dunking!

Instructions

Place peas in slow cooker, push ham in. Scatter all ingredients around the ham bone, then pour over water.
Slow cook 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 6 hours on HIGH. (Or 2.5 hours on low on stove, 1 h – 1 hr 20 min pressure cooker/Instant Pot on HIGH)
Remove ham bone, shred ham meat. Discard bone and fatty skin.
Remove bay leaves. Use a stick blender to blitz 2 or 3 times – thickens soup but doesn’t make it completely smooth (my preference, you can blend completely if you want).
Return ham into slow cooker, stir. Taste and add more salt if needed (soup gets lots of salt from ham).
Serve garnished with parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dunking – make a quick Irish Soda Bread, Garlic Bread or upgrade to Cheesy Garlic Bread!