Hubby’s Split Pea Soup

Hubby's Split Pea Soup with Niman Ranch Ham bits (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Hubby’s Split Pea Soup. I hated split pea soup until I met my husband. The canned Campbell’s soups that are prevalent in the grocery stores taste oversalted. And even prepared according to the directions on the can, the consistency is far too thick for my taste. It wasn’t until my husband started making his version of split pea soup with bits of Niman Ranch ham that I started to really like split pea soup — and request it often.

Hubby's Split Pea Soup with Niman Ranch Ham bits (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Hubby’s Split Pea Soup with Niman Ranch Ham bits (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

My husband is like me — in that we don’t usually cook with “measurements.” I can easily tell you how much I’m using of an ingredient for a recipe. My husband doesn’t measure. So in order to document this recipe, I had to follow along with his preparation of this soup. Don’t worry, it’ll come out just fine for you as it did for me!

Hubby's Split Pea Soup accompanies a Shiitake Mushroom Havarti Cheese Panini (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Hubby’s Split Pea Soup accompanies a Shiitake Mushroom Havarti Cheese Panini (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

This is a really rich split pea soup. Carrots, onions, thyme, chicken stock, white wine and garlic compliment the split peas to make a very flavorful soup. Hubby likes to use a chunk from a Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Petite Ham. Niman Ranch products are all natural, humanely raised meats. He cooks the soup with a big ham chunk until the peas are soft. He removes the ham chunk and dices it. Then he purees the soup and stirs in the diced ham.

Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Petite Ham (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Niman Ranch Applewood Smoked Petite Ham (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

Hubby’s Split Pea Soup is one of my favorite soups. I serve it with some crusty baguette slices for dipping. One of our favorite weeknight meals is a bowl of split pea soup served with a grilled panini sandwich.

Swiss Cheese and Maple Ham Panini served with a bowl of Hubby's Split Pea Soup (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)
Swiss Cheese and Maple Ham Panini served with a bowl of Hubby’s Split Pea Soup (Photo Credit: Adroit Ideals)

If you also hate(d) split pea soup, I hope that my husband’s rich and tasty split pea soup makes you a convert!

Enjoy!

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From the kitchen of A Food Lover’s Delight….

Hubby’s Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t dried thyme
1/3 c dry white wine
1 c chicken broth/stock, more for thinning if necessary
1 c water
2 c split peas, picked over for pebbles or other debris
1 4-inch square chunk of ham (I like to use Niman Ranch ham)
salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot.
2. Saute the finely diced carrot and onion until soft.
3. Add the garlic and the thyme and saute and stir for a few more minutes.
4. Add the white wine, chicken broth, water, split peas and the chunk of ham. Stir to combine.
5. Cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the peas are tender.
6. Remove the chunk of ham from the pot. Dice the ham into small pieces and set aside.
7. Use a hand blender or regular blender to puree the soup.
8. When the soup is pureed, return the pot back to the stove and stir in the diced ham. Thin to desired consistency with additional chicken broth.
9. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
10. Warm through and serve!

Serves 8 as a soup course, and 4 as a main course. Offer with a grilled ham and cheese panini or perhaps my Favorite Chicken Salad Sandwich. If you prefer a salad with your soup, serve it with a side Caesar salad or my tomato and cucumber salad with peppered goat cheese. This soup freezes well.

Variations: Use vegetable stock and omit the ham for a vegetarian version. Add some shredded cheddar cheese on top for extra decadence. Serve this soup hot or cold. It gets better if left a day or so in the refrigerator before reheating.

www.afoodloversdelight.com (Copyright Adroit Ideals 2016)

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