Professional-Quality Ham and Pea Soup

I have experimented for quite a few years with ham and pea soup – switching out the green peas for yellow peas. The yellow peas never softened enough for a good soup and they varied a lot from brand to brand. Green peas soften well. Of course, it helps to simmer your soup for at least 3 hours. A UK friend of mine who used to cater large events called it “the best ham and pea soup I have ever had”. Thanks to that high praise I am posting it today. Pemberton ingredients include carrots, and if you have a source, the ham itself. This soup goes well with a nice piece of warm cornbread. I like the recipe out of the ReBar cookbook by Audrey Alsterburg and Wanda Urbanowicz – an incredibly well-written and inspiring cookbook by two Victoria chefs.

Professional-Quality Ham and Pea Soup:

Ingredients:

1 large ham bone with about 2-3 cups of ham still on it (after baking a 4-5 lb bone-in ham the night prior)

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 tbs pure olive oil

2-3 cups chopped green cabbage

2 large carrots, chopped

1.5 cups parsley, chopped

8-10 cups water

1 450-gram bag of dried green peas

2 tsp pepper

Method:

Sauté green onion in olive oil.

Add cabbage, parsley, carrots, and pepper and sauté until well caramelised.

Add ham bone, water, and green peas.

Bring to boil.

After soup comes to a boil, turn heat down and simmer 3-4 hours.

Remove ham bone and go through the ham that has fallen into the soup to make sure no gristle or pieces of fat remain in the soup.

Remove all large ham pieces and cut into bite-sized pieces and then put back into soup. Enjoy!