Split Pea And Ham Soup Cooks Illustrated Recipes

Steps:

• Place the butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat. Stir in onion, celery, and sliced garlic. Cook slowly until the onions are translucent but not brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Mix in ham, bay leaf, and split peas. Pour in chicken stock and water. Stir to combine, and simmer slowly until the peas are tender and the soup is thick, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Season with salt and black pepper to serve.

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.

Steps:

• Put the gammon in a very large pan with 2 litres water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and drain off the water - this helps to get rid of some of the saltiness. Recover with 2 litres cold water and bring to the boil again. Put everything but the frozen peas into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½-2½ hrs, topping up the water as and when you need to, to a similar level it started at. As the ham cooks and softens, you can halve it if you want, so it is all submerged under the liquid. When the ham is tender enough to pull into shreds, it is ready.
• Lift out the ham, peel off and discard the skin. While it is still hot (wear a clean pair of rubber gloves), shred the meat. Remove bay from the soup and stir in the frozen peas. Simmer for 1 min, then blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if too thick, and return to the pan to heat through if it has cooled, or if you are making ahead.
• When you are ready to serve, mix the hot soup with most of the ham - gently reheat if made ahead. Serve in bowls with the remaining ham scattered on top, and eat with crusty bread and butter.

Steps:

• Place ham, bay leaves, and 3 quarts water in large stockpot or Dutch oven.
• Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until meat is tender and pulls away from bone, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove ham meat and bone from pot and set aside.
• Add split peas and thyme to stock.
• Bring back to boil, reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered until peas are tender but not dissolved, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, when ham is cool enough to handle, shred meat into bite-sized peas and set aside. Discard rind and bone.
• While peas are simmering, heat oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering.
• Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute, stirring frequently, until most of liquid evaporates and vegetables begin to brown (5 to 6 minutes).
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, garlic, and sugar.
• Cook vegetables, stirring frequently, until deeply browned, 30 to 35 minutes and set aside.
• Add sauteed vegetables, potatoes, and shredded ham to pot with split peas.
• Simmer until potatoes and peas dissolve and thicken soup to consistency of light cream, about 20 minutes more.
• Season with pepper to taste.
• Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle with red onion, if using, and serve, passing balsamic vinegar separately.

Steps:

• Place split peas, ham bone, carrots, onion, celery, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into a large pot; pour in water. Bring mixture to a boil and skim off any foam with a spoon. Reduce heat; place a lid on the pot slightly ajar to allow some evaporation. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender and soup is thick, about 3 hours.
• Remove ham bone from soup; strip meat from ham bone, chop meat, and return it to the pot.