Day after holiday? Make this split pea soup!

Ham bone soup?

Rich, savory, well-seasoned split pea soup that is so good that it is getting a nickname– Ham bone soup. After eating three bowls, my husband decided that “split pea soup” just didn’t do it justice. Ham bone soup it is!

If it’s the day after Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas you can bet I am making ham bone soup. I raise my hand immediately to claim the hambone at holiday parties. It actually blows my mind that anyone would give it away– it imparts SO much flavor.

If someone in your family doesn’t count soup as dinner, make this for them, they will convert! This recipe is loaded with salty, savory goodness thanks to homemade beef broth (more on that later..) rendered bacon and of course, the hambone. Split peas and potatoes make this soup hearty and comforting. Curling up under a blanket with a bowl of ham bone soup at the end of a long holiday weekend is my idea of a good night.

Split Peas.

Split peas are in the legume family, but are actually a field pea that is dried, hulled and split. Whoever decided to do all that, I don’t know, but I’m glad they did! Since they are hulled and split, they cook up much faster than dried beans.

Look for U.S.A grown split peas. China is #1 exporter of split peas. That is a long way to travel for dinner! I like the brand Cadia. They are an organic food company offering many shelf-stable items with quality, ethically sourced, U.S.A grown ingredients.

Rinsing is important to remove any debris or little pebbles. Rinsing helps remove some of the starch on the peas that leads to foam forming on the surface of the soup. A little bit of foam is fine, just remove with a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon.

Other Key Ingredients.

Bacon. Rendered bacon fat gives the soup its first hit of flavor. After the bacon is cooked, set the bacon aside and cook up the veggies in the bacon fat. If you save bacon fat (which you should!) you can omit the bacon and just use the fat. However, the cooked bacon is a welcomed topping to ham bone soup! I sourced my bacon from a regenerative farm in Dundee, Illinois, All Grass Farms. Their hogs are pasture raised, treated well and humanely harvested.

Ham bone. A bit of meat left on the bone is encouraged. Halfway through cooking, strip the bone of any leftover meat and add it back to the soup. If you don’t think you can use the ham bone right away, it freezes very well. Just thaw in the refrigerator the day before you plan to use it. Never waste another ham bone. Make this soup a new post-holiday tradition.

Potatoes. Baby red potatoes are preferred. They hold up well to cooking and don’t require peeling. Yukon Gold work well too but require a tad more work. I recommend peeling the skin first. Add half the potatoes and let the other half soak in cool water for a while to remove some of the starch. Again, this is a texture thing.

Beef Broth. Source quality beef broth or make your own. After making stew, I hold onto the collagen rich, flavor packed, oxtail bones for broth. I sourced my grass-fed beef oxtail from Wanda Farms in Harvard, Illinois.

Parmesan Rind. Another flavor enhancer that gives this soup an edge. Never throw out parmesan rinds. Store them in your freezer in plastic bags and throw them into soups and sauces straight from frozen to add a salty, savory kick to the dish. Just remember to remove before serving!

Cooking Tips.

In a separate pot, warm the broth before adding it to the soup. Adding cold broth slows down the cooking process.

When cutting up the bacon, I find it easiest to lop off a 3-inch chunk vertically rather than remove a few separate slices.

Add HALF of the split peas in the beginning of cooking, and the other half later. The split peas added later will hold their shape and create a pleasant texture. Texture is important with split pea soup. You don’t want it to turn into gloopy baby food.

After the soup has been simmering for an hour, remove the bay leaves, rind, and hambone and lightly blend with an immersion blender. You want around 20% blended. Don’t overdo it. Remember, baby food is not what we are going for! After blending, strip any meat off of the ham bone and return to the pot along with the hambone, rest of the potatoes and split peas.