Recipe #11: Ham & Pea Soup

Recipe from Reuben Epp - 1999

*

A ham-pea soup starts out with several pieces of hambone with considerable meat, to which are added vegetables, grain and legumes to make a delicious ham and pea soup.

Item No. 1 is a large soup pot of at least two gallons for a family-sized pot of ham-pea soup.

Then:

1. Add to boiling water in the pot about 1½ to 2 lbs. of bone in large pieces with meat from a smoked ham.
2. Add to the pot 2 or 3 cooking onions, chopped fine and pan-browned in butter.
3. Allow the ham, bone and onions to simmer together in the pot for the better part of an hour, well covered with water, before adding vegetables.
4. Then add about 1 cup of pearled or potting barley
5. Then add about 1 cup each of yellow split peas and green split peas.
6. Add 1 green bell pepper, chopped into small pieces.
7. Chop fine about 1/2 of a whole garlic bulb (8 cloves) and add to the pot.
8. Peel and dice 4-6 carrots and add to the soup. Continue low boil or simmer.
9. Chop up and wrap in cheese-cloth two or three full grown stalks of fresh or frozen summer savoury weed. A bundle about the size of a man's thumb or slightly larger. Fish this bundle out of the pot when the soup is fully done.
10. Add 4-6 stalks of celery, diced in small pieces (optional).

While simmering this soup, keep the water in the pot generously above the top of the vegetables because the barley and peas thicken the soup considerably as they become done.

I list the various components of this soup approximately in the order in which they would be potted to provide appropriate cooking time. An experienced cook will adjust this schedule
appropriately. There are many possible variations in this thumb-rule recipe.

Seasonings are somewhat optional in this soup. Try it first without seasonings.

Total cooking time is about 1½ to 2 hours, or until the carrots are well done and the peas have disintegrated.

And then...enjoy!
Lot et goot schmaikje!