Ricks Yummy Split Pea Soup With Ham Food

RICK'S YUMMY SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM

Steps:

• Place the split peas into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand for at least 3 hours. Rinse peas until the water runs clear; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, carrots, and celery in hot oil until soft, 8 to 12 minutes. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Combine peas, onion mixture, 6 cups chicken broth, bay leaf, black pepper, and thyme together in a large pot. Stir neck bones into chicken broth mixture, adding more chicken broth as necessary to cover bones completely. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer until peas have dissolved and meat is falling from the bones, 2 to 3 hours. Transfer bones to a plate to cool.
• Stir cubed ham into soup. When neck bones are cool enough to handle, remove remaining meat from the bones; discard bones and stir meat into soup. Continue to simmer until ham and meat are heated through, about 5 minutes.

SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM HOCKS

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat. Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple inches. Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove ham hock and let cool. Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred. Garnish with ham and pepper.

UNCLE BILL'S GREEN SPLIT PEA WITH HAMBONE SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas well in cold water and add to a large cooking pot.
• Measure 8 cups of water and add to cooking pot.
• Bring to boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
• Return to stove and bring back to boil.
• Add ham bone, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, beef bouillon, salt, peppercorns and dried thyme.
• Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove ham bone and cut off any remaining ham, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup.
• Discard ham bone.
• If there are big pieces of ham in the soup, remove, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If you desire a smooth soup, then puree' in batches in a food processor or blender.
• Or eat the soup without puree'ing.
• If soup is too thick, add more water to your desired consistency.
• Beef broth or chicken broth may be added, just reduce the water by the amounts used.
• Smoked ham hocks are excellent to use instead of a ham bone.
• If there is not enough ham on the ham bone, then add additional ham of your choice.
• You may also use about 1/4 teaspoon of Liquid Hickory Smoke, to get a smokey flavor.
• You may also use whole peas, but it will take a bit longer to cook these peas so that they are tender.

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP - COOKS ILLUSTRATED

Steps:

• Heat butter in large Dutch oven over medium high heat. When foaming subsides, add onion and 1/2 tsp salt; cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 3 - 4 minutes.
• Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, ham steak, bacon, green peas, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer, stirring frequently to keep peas from sticking to bottom.
• Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.
• Remove ham steak, cover with foil to prevent drying out, and set aside. Stir in carrots and celery; continue to simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.
• When cool enough to handle, remove skin and shred ham into small pieces with two forks, Remove and discard thyme sprigs, bay leaves and bacon slices. Cut the fat off the bacon and chop into small pieces. Stir ham and bacon back into soup and return to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a few shakes of hot sauce, if desired.