Nothing is as good as a hearty old fashioned meal! My gramma often threw split peas — both green and yellow — into her filling soups because a few handfuls of split peas can go a long way in feeding a hungry family. One bowl with a biscuit, slice of bread or a bun was all that you needed to fill your belly in the evening after a long day of working on the farm.
I have even made this delicious Split Pea and Ham Soup for a bunch of hungry Girl Guides at a guiding sleepover at Fort Edmonton Park. Since I like to cook this soup for a while, I began getting it ready it at home and then finished cooking it on the wood cook stove at Fort Edmonton while the girls were busy learning and creating. It tastes absolutely amazing whether it is cooked on a wood stove or a modern day electric one. At first, many girls did not know what to think as they had never actually eaten split peas before, but once they tasted the salty meatiness of the ham along with a hint of dill and with the yummy vegetables, they sure gobbled it up!! I even had one girl tell me that it was her new favorite soup. That is one of the things that I love about sharing my love of cooking and history with others, as well as being a Girl Guide Leader — helping others experience what they may not otherwise have had the chance to do, while eating delicious food!
Split peas have been around for many years and have been cultivated since 500BC. Split peas are high in protein and complex carbohydrates which is essential for brain health and provides energy for the body, as well as being high in fibre, various vitamins and minerals. In the mid 1700’s, dried peas began being mentioned in writings and children’s poems. Dried peas also known as split peas, were a low-cost winter staple in the 1800’s and soup was easy to prepare. A few ingredients could feed a large family, or crowd of fur traders by simply adding some salt pork to a batch of dried peas cooking in a large amount of water and seasoned with herbs. Other cultures made their version of split pea soup by adding various vegetables to the pot of dried peas and salted pork.
My Split Pea and Ham Soup can be made with or without the ham and the ham bone can be easily substituted in.
Let’s get started because this soup takes time to cook!
I used up some leftover ham that we had (a perfect soup for after the holidays!) along with carrots, celery, onion and of course split peas!
As with all of my soups, I begin with onion, celery and carrot, all diced and chopped and tossed into a soup pot along with a splash of oil or butter, a splash of water and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Chop the ham and set aside.
Cook until the onions are translucent.
Rinse the split peas before tossing in the pot. Add the chopped ham or ham bone. I used a vegetable stock pod because the flavor is more pronounced and tastes just like I had been making stock all day long. You can use any vegetable broth or stock you like.
Stir. Cook for about 10 minutes.
Add 8 to 10 cups of water and a sprinkle of dill along with 1 bay leaf.
Cover. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1 to 1-1/2 hours. If the pot looks low on water, add 1 cup at a time. This is why I cover my soup, but sometimes, extra water is needed. When the split peas look like they are falling apart, the soup is ready. Remove ham bone and remove any ham that you can and toss back into the pot. I often cook this soup on lower heat for at least a couple hours because I find the longer it cooks, the better the flavor.
Taste for seasonings, adding more dill, salt or pepper as needed. Remove bay leaf and discard before serving.
Here’s my recipe:
Split Pea and Ham Soup
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2/3 cup dried split peas, rinsed
2 cups of leftover ham, chopped or a ham bone
1 vegetable stock pod or 4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh dill or 1/2 tsp dried dill
1 bay leaf
8 to 10 cups water – if using vegetable broth, add 6 to 8 cups water
Saute onion, celery and carrots together with a splash of oil or butter, sprinkle of salt and pepper and a pinch of dill until onions are translucent.
Add split peas, ham and stock pod (if using broth or veggie stock, just add the split peas and ham). Cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
Add water (and broth if using), along with seasonings and bay leaf.
Cook for 1 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add more water if needed during cooking (but not too much water as this soup tends to be a bit thicker). Cook until split peas are tender and are slightly falling apart. Remove bay leaf and discard before serving.
Serve with bread, buns or my delicious old fashioned drop biscuits that can be made with wheat flour or also be made gluten free, which can be found here: https://www.ourcityhomestead.com/old-fashioned-drop-biscuits/
