Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1kg Ham
• 200g (soaked overnight) Peas
• 2 chopped Onions
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 chopped Celery
• 300g Frozen Peas
• to serve Bread

Instructions

1. Place the gammon in a very large pot, cover with 2 litres of water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and discard the water to reduce excess salt. Refill with 2 litres of cold water and bring back to the boil.
2. Add the soaked split peas, chopped onions, carrots, celery and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1½–2½ hours. Top up with water as needed to keep the liquid at roughly the original level. As the ham softens, it can be cut in half if necessary to keep it submerged. The soup is ready when the ham pulls apart easily.
3. Remove the ham from the pot, peel off and discard the skin. While still hot, shred the meat. Remove the bay leaves from the soup, add the frozen peas and simmer for about 1 minute.
4. Blend the soup until smooth. Add a splash of water if it is too thick. Return to the heat to warm through if needed.
5. When ready to serve, stir most of the shredded ham into the hot soup, reheating gently if made ahead. Ladle into bowls, scatter the remaining ham on top and serve with crusty bread and butter.

instructions_source: editorial-classic