Ham Transformed – Split Pea Soup

I didn’t grow up eating much ham. It’s not that my family refrained from eating pork, we just didn’t cook ham. We had deli ham occasionally, along with salami and the other meats that are found in a Philadelphia hoagie. I have always loved the barbecue pork buns and pork-filled pan fried dumplings we would get when we went for dim sum. And of course we ate bacon. But cooking a ham was foreign to me.

A few years back I figured I’d give it a go. I bought a big ham around Christmas-time when they are cheap and abundant in the supermarket, and I went home to figure out how to cook the thing. It wasn’t hard, as it is apparently pretty much cooked when you buy it; I just needed to warm it slowly for a couple of hours and glaze it.

My family ate it, and the reaction was mixed. I really liked it, especially the mix of sweet-salty flavors because of the glaze. The rest of my family, not so much. They were willing to eat some because that’s what was for dinner, but it wasn’t a meal they would request on their birthday. What bothered them most was that buying a ham for four people means ham leftovers for days and days. They got sick of it pretty quickly.

I had to figure out other meals to cook with it after the second night of leftovers to prevent rebellion. I would sear it in a pan on a weekend morning and mix it in with scrambled eggs. It’s great in a quiche. I would freeze it so we had a quick dinner at some point later in the year. And I learned to make split pea soup, which puts the bone to great use.

The ham bone flavors the soup as the split peas cook. And when the soup is done simmering and is puréed to a smooth consistency, I add finely diced pieces of ham, which contributes even more flavor and has the added benefit of using up some of the leftover ham.

I buy a ham once a year, mainly so I can make split pea soup. And these days my family doesn’t go out to eat on the night I cook ham because I serve it with homemade macaroni and cheese. They eat piles of that and then they humor me by eating a little bit of ham. And then for the next week, they get to eat split pea soup.

Split Pea Soup

This is a simple soup, flavored mostly by the ham bone and diced and sautéed onions, carrots, and celery. As with most dishes I cook, I don’t measure when I make this soup. Thus, the quantities of each ingredient are approximate and the soup will be delicious even if you do not follow my instructions closely. While the recipe makes a big batch, it freezes well.

2 hours, makes about 4 quarts

1 Tbsp. olive oil

2 large onions, finely diced

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 celery stalks, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 ham bone

2 lbs. split peas, picked over to remove stray stones or clumps of dirt

14 cups water or chicken broth, or a combination of both

4 dried bay leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with a string for easy retrieval

1 tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 cup finely diced leftover baked ham

croutons for serving (optional)

1. Heat olive oil on medium in a heavy stockpot that can hold at least 10 quarts.
2. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until soft and just starting to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and sauté for another two minutes.
4. Add the ham bone, split peas, water and/or stock, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
5. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour until the peas are soft and almost disintegrating.
6. Remove the ham bone, bay leaves, and thyme, and purée the soup until smooth, using an immersion blender, or in batches if using a traditional blender.
7. Sauté the diced ham briefly in a small skillet for about five minutes, until just starting to brown. Add the ham to the soup and stir to mix.
8. Soup can be made one day ahead and refrigerated or frozen at this point. Reheat on the stove, adding a little water or stock if it seems too thick. Top with croutons when serving, if desired.

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