We had some family up for Christmas dinner early with a ham and all the fixings. I saved the ham bone for my famous PEA SOUP. If you love pea soup, you will love this recipe. I don’t like to waste anything, and the ham bone makes a delicious soup.
I don’t know if you have problems when you begin a recipe but as I get older, I am more forgetful. This year I realized once I began to prepare the soup, I did not have some ingredients! Yikes! I mentioned in the ingredients below what you can substitute which I had to do. I couldn’t bother my husband to run to the store since he was busy doing other stuff around the house.
One year I actually forgot the split peas. Sigh! Well, of course I couldn’t make the soup until I sent my poor husband out to the store. On his way there I thought of something else I had forgotten. I naturally called him right away and he finally answered when he was almost finished shopping. I could just imagine he rolled his eyes a few times as we talked about what else I needed!
You should have seen me this year with my nose at every spice I had trying to find a substitute for thyme. Some just did not do it for me. My husband watched me in action and just shook his head and of course the eyes rolled!
It’s a wonder we are still married! Haha! But he loves my pea soup so he can’t complain too much! Well, enough about my troubles and woes. Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it.
PEA SOUP
INGREDIENTS:
Ham bone
Ham chunks
Chicken bouillon liquid or paste (I used about a Tbs or a little more of the paste.)
1 Lb pkg Split peas
2-3 carrots sliced
2 stalks celery sliced (celery seed if no celery available which is what I had to do today)
1 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
Parsley a few dashes (optional)
2-3 bay leaves (or bay leaf mix in a cotton wrap)
Thyme a few dashes (Rosemary can be used if no thyme available which is what I had to use.)
DIRECTIONS:
- In large sauce pan lightly sauté chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
- Add water and bouillon (3/4 way up to pan) with ham bone
- Add split peas, carrots, celery
- Add bay leaf, thyme or rosemary and parsley (I did not have thyme, so I substituted rosemary.)
- Add pepper and salt to taste
- Simmer covered for one hour or more until peas are thickened. (I cook it longer but if I put too much water in the pan it is thinner. Not to worry because it usually thickens as it cools.)
- Add more water if too thick
- Once cooked remove bone and take off any meat and add this meat back to the pan.
- Enjoy with crusty bread or soda or saltine crackers.
This recipe will last three days in the fridge but can be frozen. If frozen, thaw completely and add more water if necessary because it will become thicker.
Enjoy!
I mentioned in the past that I wanted to put together a cookbook with all my favorite recipes. Well, this year I still don’t have anything ready. I am getting to think that it won’t happen since I have other books to write and publish this year. I also think it would be too great an undertaking since I would have to hire someone to photograph my recipes professionally for the book. It would become too costly to do. Sorry. But I will still share my recipes on my blog under Janice’s Kitchen Corner. Stay tuned for more.
Thank you for stopping by to read this post. I hope you enjoy this recipe and check out all the others here. There are plenty for the holidays, gatherings or anytime. I would love to hear from you if you do try any of my recipes. Please share all your troubles as I did. We can laugh together. If you have a funny story about cooking or baking you want to share, I would be happy to feature it here too.
Happy eating, shopping and reading everyone! Stay safe and well! Don’t forget to check out all my books to the right of this post by clicking on them or go to the links below for purchase. I couldn’t resist putting in another plug! Please forgive me! I did, after all, give you a lovely recipe! Haha!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
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