Split Pea & Ham Soup

Split Pea and Ham Soup

January 19, 2024

National Soup Month – Week 3

For this week’s soup recipe I turned to the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten. Her recipe, Parker’s Split Pea Soup is featured in both the cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, and the accompanying television series on Food Network.

Split Pea and Ham Soup - overhead

Why I like this recipe

  • This soup is hearty and filling and needs little else but a green salad and some crusty bread to make a meal.
  • It is easy to make from mostly basic pantry items.
  • The split peas don’t require pre-soaking.
Split Pea and Ham Soup - closeup

A few notes

  • The basis for this recipe is the one shared on the Food Network website. The original recipe found in the cookbook is doubled – great for feeding a crowd or if you really enjoy leftovers.
  • I added some diced cooked ham because I like the flavor (and, to me, it feels like a complete meal with the addition of the ham).
  • If you want to make this vegetarian, omit the ham and swap out the chicken stock for water or vegetable stock.
  • When reheating leftovers, you may need to add a little water to loosen the soup (the peas may have absorbed more of the liquid).
Print
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Split Pea and Ham Soup

Split Pea & Ham Soup


  • Author: Barefoot Contessa (slightly modified)
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
  • Yield: 8 1x

Description

This delicious filling soup recipe is slightly modified from the original recipe in The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. A little goes a long way and it is great served with a salad and crusty bread.


Ingredients

Scale

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

11/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)

1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)

1 pound dried split green peas

8 cups chicken stock or water

8 ounces small-diced ham


Instructions

In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the carrots, potatoes, 3/4 pound of split peas, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking.

Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 35 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom.

Add the cubed ham and simmer for 5 minutes to warm through.

Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper (garnishes optional).

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Category: Soups
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Calories: 495.41
  • Sugar: 3.42 g.
  • Sodium: 590.75 mg.
  • Fat: 7.81 g.
  • Saturated Fat: 1.03 g.
  • Carbohydrates: 89.62 g.
  • Fiber: 13.82 g.
  • Protein: 27.3 g.
  • Cholesterol: 15.19 g.

Keywords: split green peas, ham, barefoot contessa

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