Remember how winter was really wintry?
Summer has been really watery in Pittsburgh. I know that rain is not unusual for this part of the country but still… I wish I could send some of the rain to my in-laws in California, I bet they would really enjoy it. In some ways the rain has helped keep the temps low. I am not sure we have had a 90 degree day yet. I should be careful what I say since the world has a way of making me sorry for saying things like that. I think back to that time I asked for snow and then the snow came and never left. Yea, I should probably avoid talking about the weather in general.
Because we have had such a wet and even cool summer I decided to ask my mom to help me come up with a recipe that would be perfect for this kind of weather. It is probably of no surprise that I turned to my mom for a comfort food dish. Hey, moms know best. Turns out mom had a ham bone sitting in the freezer. This isn’t all that surprising since she is a pretty smart woman and knows how to make the most out of our holiday dinners and such. So she figured we should make split pea soup. Split pea soup is the kind of soup that eats like a full meal especially when you add in the ham bits. I don’t really think you can make this without ham. I mean you can, but it wont be nearly as delicious and comforting.
Cooking with mom has become a great way for us to catch up on things and you know that there is even something about sitting down with a bowl of soup. I think it just invites you to have conversations. If you find yourself sitting around the house this summer and it is raining then I think you might be in need of soup. I would recommend this soup since it is delicious and comforting. You’ll love it!
Ingredients
- 1 Package of dry split peas rinsed and set aside.
- 1 Onion chopped
- 4 Carrots sliced or chopped
- 2 Cloves of crushed garlic chopped
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Ham Bone/Ham Hock or Smoked Turkey
- Salt to taste
- 6-8 Cups vegetable broth or water
- ½ Tsp. of pepper
- ½ Tsp. of nutmeg
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt for Garnish
Instructions
- In a large stock pot add 1 Tbsp. canola oil and heat over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions start to soften. Place ham bone/ham hock or smoked turkey to the pot. Cover with water or vegetable stock. Make sure the liquid covers the ham bone (or whatever you choose to use). Bring the stock to a boil. Once the stock comes to a boil add the rinsed split peas. Reduce the heat to simmer and allow the stock to simmer. Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, nutmeg and continue to simmer until the peas are cooked. To test their doneness try to mash the pea with the back of a wooden spoon, if it mashes easily then the pea is cooked.
- Remove the ham bone from the pot and allow to cool. Once cooled remove the meat from the bone and return to the pot with the soup. Make sure that you removed all of the bone and any large pieces of fat from the pot. Remove the bay leaf as well. If you want a smooth appearance you can now blend the soup using a blender or an immersion blender (REMEMBER to take out bay leaf and any large pieces of cartilage or bone). Serve soup with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.
