Thick pea, ham and vegetable soup

Babiche Martens

This hearty pea and ham soup is a favourite in our family. This a real stick-to-your-stomach soup, just how food should be on a cold winter's day. You could put the soup through a blender before you put the ham back in, but personally I don't think it's necessary. If it's a little thick for your liking, add a bit of extra stock or water. This soup calls out for some crunchy croutons on the top. Use leftover bread, baked in the oven with a dash of olive oil and a sprinkling of herbs.

Ingredients

2	Onions, chopped
2	Garlic cloves, chopped
25 g	Butter
3 medium	Carrots, chopped
1	Celery stalk, chopped
2 Ltr	Stock, or water
250 g	Yellow split peas, or green split peas (Main)
1	Ham hock (Main)
¼ tsp	Salt & freshly ground pepper
¼ cup	Chopped parsley
1 serving	Croutons, to sprinkle on top

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large pot.
2. Add the onions, garlic, carrot and celery. Sweat for 8-10 minutes until soft but not brown.
3. Add the stock, ham, split peas, salt and pepper.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone and the peas are soft.
5. Remove the hock and pull the meat from the bone, dice and return to the soup.
6. Just before serving add freshly chopped parsley. Top each bowl with chunky croutons.