Pea and Ham soup is one of my family’s favourites and normally after the Christmas period is when we’d serve it up with some leftover ham. You can imagine how odd it was then, that we had no ham leftover this year what-so-ever! This was definitely a family first, which is a good thing I guess…or maybe we’ve gotten fatter and greedier? (I did gain 3 pounds over Christmas- eek). Nevertheless, this hearty pea and ham soup was created out of a craving for comfort food and a determination to stick with family tradition.
We had all the rest of the ingredients, but it was worth buttoning up our coats and facing the elements for the trip down to the shops, to buy the much needed ham. No blustering wind or rain would stop us in our quest for a bowl of heart-warming thick soup – food for the soul, right there – yes please. We settled on Tesco’s Ham from their finest range, pleasingly reduced in price; another one of my bargain buys (I’m getting quite addicted to searching for the best bargains these days).
Ham bought, we battled our way through the crowds (who were out in force despite the dismal weather) and finally made it home. So glad to be back and excited about making one of our favourite soups! Yes, I know…we could’ve saved our energy and skipped the ham but hey, it’s traditional and I’ve got to keep to the family’s expectations.
It does, by the way, taste amazing without the ham but I prefer the additional flavour and having the texture of the ham in there too. You can add the ham a couple of minutes before the end of cooking or sprinkle some on top before serving. If you don’t have garlic butter, add 1-2 cloves crushed garlic in along with the onions. You can get 4 small bowls out of this ( it is a filling soup) or two hungry people ( with a bit leftover).
Serve with crusty bread and watch how quickly this soup disappears into happy mouths.
Thick & Hearty Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 25g garlic butter (I used lurpak's)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, chopped
- 500ml pork stock
- 450g frozen peas Petits Pois
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 slices cooked ham, chopped
- pinch of salt and black pepper
Instructions
- In a saucepan, over a low to medium heat, add the garlic butter and sweat the onion and leek for about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and the peas and let it simmer for a couple of minutes. Then add the chopped carrot, bring to the boil until the carrots soften.
- Transfer to a blender and blend until pureed. Return to the saucepan and heat until it’s hot. (not boiling). Check if it needs seasoning and serve up right away.