Chef Chuck's Split Pea Soup

Zuppa di Piselli


The spiral ham on the bone certainly had a full smokey flavor for the split pea soup. The rich ham taste came through do to soft buttery fats, and savory bone marrow. Combined with green split peas, and bright healthy vegetables made it all the more enjoyable.


Split Pea Soup
1 ham bone
1 cup ham, cubed
1/2 pound dry green peas
3 tablespoon olive oil
4 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 whole potato, peeled
2 bay leafs
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
water


In a medium size bowl add dry peas, inspect and discard any pebbles, rinse peas, set aside.  In a large pot add ham bone, cubed ham, bay leafs, and 4 cups water.  Pour in olive oil, add 1 whole potato and dry peas, simmer with lid half on for 1 hour. Add cubed potatoes, carrots, celery, onions thyme, salt, pepper and peas to soup. Crush whole potato with a fork or hand blender and add to soup, this will help thicken soup, simmer an additional 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.