About 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
½ pound of ham, cubed
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
2 stalks of celery
1-2 carrots or large handful of baby carrots
1 heaping cup dry green split peas
1/3 heaping cup dry pearl barley
2-3 (14.5 ounce) cans of chicken or vegetable stock
Thyme, parsley, dill, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
2 Bay leaves
Instructions:
To soften dried green split peas: Soak dry split peas in bowl with water, 24-48 hours prior to making soup.
To prepare soup: Clean and dice garlic, onion, and celery. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté vegetables in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once tender, add ¾ of the ham pieces, carrots, split peas, barley and spices. Cover with lid and let simmer on low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Blend soup mixture in a blender or food processor. Return blended mixture to pot and add reserved ham pieces. Cook on low temperature for another 15 minutes, then serve.
Cooking Tips:
- Honey Baked Ham leftovers are ideal for this soup. Save the leftovers and store in small bags and freeze. Then pull out a bag of ham when you want to make this soup.
- Dried beans will not soften if you have hard water or if the peas are old. Be sure to purchase dried peas from a store that has high turnover. If you have hard water, soak peas in distilled water.