Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Butter
  • 1 large Yellow Onion, diced
  • 2 medium Carrots, diced
  • 2 Celery Stalks, diced
  • 3 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • 1 pound Dried Green Split Peas, rinsed
  • 2 Bay Leaves
  • 1 (about 1 lb) Smoked Ham Hock (or 6 oz smoked bacon ends)
  • 8 cups Water or Low-Sodium Chicken Stock
  • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions:

  1. Heat oil or butter in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté gently for 8-10 minutes until softened but not browned (sweating them down).
  2. Add minced garlic and thyme. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the rinsed split peas, bay leaves, ham hock, and the water/stock. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat.
  4. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and maintain a very gentle simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes to prevent sticking.
  5. Carefully remove the ham hock using a slotted spoon and place it on a cutting board to cool. Once cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bone, discard skin/fat/bone, and finely shred the meat.
  6. Return the shredded meat to the pot. Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. If the soup is too thick, add a splash of hot water or stock until desired consistency is reached.
  7. Ladle the finished Split Pea Soup into bowls and garnish generously with fresh parsley before serving.