In preparation for the holidays, I was cleaning out my freezer and came across a vacuum sealed ham hock from a ham last year, so I decided to make the usual ham and split pea soup. With just a couple extra steps and a little added love, it turned into one of the best soups I have ever made. So, here you go...
1 ham hock, with bits. If you don't have a hock with bits, buy a ham steak to add
1 lb bag of green split peas, rinsed
1 lb brussel sprouts, end trimmed and quartered
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
4 bay leaves
1 Tbsp bacon fat, olive oil if you don't have bacon fat
Place carrot, onion, celery, and chopped garlic in large pot over medium heat with a bit of oil..any will do. Saute for about 5-8 minutes until slightly translucent taking care not to burn garlic. Add ham hock, split peas, and bay leaf and cover with water and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, put bacon fat in medium saute over medium-high heat and add brussel sprouts. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and toss every minute or so. When pan starts to caramelize, deglaze with a bit of water or any kind of stock. Do this 2-3 times till you have a nice brown glaze on brussel sprouts and set aside.
When peas are soft, remove hock and allow to cool. Add sprouts to soup and clean ham off bone and add to soup. Adjust seasoning if needed. I only had to add pepper to my soup due to the saltiness of the ham.
1 ham hock, with bits. If you don't have a hock with bits, buy a ham steak to add
1 lb bag of green split peas, rinsed
1 lb brussel sprouts, end trimmed and quartered
3 carrots, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 head garlic, peeled and chopped
4 bay leaves
1 Tbsp bacon fat, olive oil if you don't have bacon fat
Place carrot, onion, celery, and chopped garlic in large pot over medium heat with a bit of oil..any will do. Saute for about 5-8 minutes until slightly translucent taking care not to burn garlic. Add ham hock, split peas, and bay leaf and cover with water and bring to a simmer.
Meanwhile, put bacon fat in medium saute over medium-high heat and add brussel sprouts. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and toss every minute or so. When pan starts to caramelize, deglaze with a bit of water or any kind of stock. Do this 2-3 times till you have a nice brown glaze on brussel sprouts and set aside.
When peas are soft, remove hock and allow to cool. Add sprouts to soup and clean ham off bone and add to soup. Adjust seasoning if needed. I only had to add pepper to my soup due to the saltiness of the ham.
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