Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
For soup:
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 large carrots or 1 bag of baby carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 pound of dried yellow split peas
- 12 ounces of green peas, fresh or frozen
- 8 cups of beef broth or beef bone broth, plus more if needed.
- 1 1/2- 2 pound ham bone
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon of smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper
- salt to taste
- 1 cup of chopped ham plus more to garnish
For croutons:
- 1 loaf of Italian bread
- 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons of Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For soup:
- In a large pot over medium, high heat and the butter and allow it to melt. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until tender and fragrant.
- Add in the split peas and beef broth. Add in the hambone. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 60 to 90 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add a bay leaf and the smoked paprika. Cook until the peas split and the soup thickens.
- Add the green peas and after about 5 minutes, use and immersion blender or potato masher to crush them in the pot. If you prefer a little texture, be sure to leave some of them intact. Add additional stock if needed and according to how thick or soupy you prefer it.
- Remove the ham bone and shred the ham. Add it back into the soup, along with some other cut up pieces of cooked ham, if desired. Add salt and freshly grated black A pepper to taste (you may not need salt as the ham tends to be salty). Garnish with parsley and croutons.
For croutons:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients well in a bowl.
- Cut Italian bread into cubes about 1/2” by 1/2”. Add the bread cubes to the bowl and mix well – making sure all the pieces are coated well. Arrange on a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake for 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until all pieces are golden brown and crispy on all sides. Allow to cool and serve.
