Healthy Pea and Ham Soup

This is my take on a Dutch style Healthy Pea and Ham soup. I can’t always source good quality ham hocks (or have leftover ham bones outside of Christmas ham season) so I’ve improvised to replicate the flavour combo of smoked meat and legumes that I grew up with, but using a pork chop and bacon instead of the hock.

The result is this tasty, hearty soup that’s more a complete meal than a starter. Whilst it has a long cooking time, it really is a no-fuss, set and forget type meal that my whole family loves. It’s also a very budget friendly meal which is always a bonus.

Health benefits

Split peas are a fantastic source of plant-based protein and dietary fibre, helping to support digestion and keep you full for longer. The addition of lean pork and bacon provides extra protein, while veggies like garlic cloves, sweet potato, carrot, and spinach or kale bring essential vitamins and antioxidants to the dish.

Ingredients

This recipe is built around split peas and a combination of pork chops and bacon for a rich, smoky flavour. The soup is bulked up with celery, carrot, potatoes, and leafy greens for added texture and nutrients.

How to make this Healthy Pea and Ham soup

To make this split pea soup, start by soaking the split peas overnight to soften them. Once ready, simmer the peas with pork, bacon and aromatic veggies like garlic, onion, and celery for 30 minutes. Add the diced carrots, potato, and sweet potato and continue cooking until the peas break down into a creamy base. Break apart the pork from the bone (it should fall away simply). Finally, stir in some spinach or kale and let it wilt before serving. If you want to make a very smooth soup you can also blend with an immersion blender. 

Serving suggestions and how to store

Ladle the soup into a bowl and serve with a crusty slice of sourdough bread for dipping. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for longer. Reheat on the stove over low heat until warm.

Vary this Healthy Pea and Ham soup to suit 

This delicious soup is already gluten-free and dairy-free. For a vegan version, omit the pork and bacon and replace them with smoked paprika for flavour. You can also swap the water for vegetable stock or chicken broth to enrich the taste. To make it onion and garlic-free, use diced fennel and add a pinch of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat. Feel free to add extra veggies like cauliflower and broccoli for more variety.

Take a look at the variations (below the main recipe) for suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements (including vegan, vegetarian, onion and garlic-free options).

For more delicious, easy to make healthy soup recipes, click HERE.

Healthy Pea and Ham Soup

Prep 1 day day 10 minutes minutes

Cook 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total 40 minutes minutes

Serves: 4

This Healthy Pea and Ham Soup is a nourishing and hearty dish, perfect for chilly days. Made with split peas, pork, and an array of veggies, it’s packed with protein, fibre, and essential nutrients. The simplicity of ingredients combined with the depth of flavour makes it a comforting and satisfying meal.

MetricUS Customary

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Ingredients

• 200 g dried green split peas (1 cup)
• 1 pork chop -fat trimmed
• 3 rasher/s bacon
• 1 red onion/s (large) diced
• 2 clove/s garlic -diced
• 2 stick/s celery -finely diced
• 1.5 ltr water
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• 1 carrot/s (large) finely diced
• 1 potato/s (large) peeled and finely diced
• 1 sweet potato/s (medium) peeled and finely diced
• 30 g baby spinach -or kale (optional) (aapprox. 1 handful)

Method

• Soak the split peas overnight in enough water to allow for them to expand. Strain and rinse them very well (in a sieve under running water).
• Place the split peas, pork chops, bacon, onion, garlic, celery and water into a pot and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 30 mins. Any scum that appears just skim it from the top.
• Then add carrot, potato and sweet potato and simmer slowly with the lid on for another hour or until the split peas are mushy and the soup has thickened.
• Remove the pork from the bone (it should just fall away). Break any solid bits up and mix through the soup.
• Sir through the leafy greens (if including) and allow them to wilt.

Serve

• Serve with crusty sourdough bread.

Make-ahead

• Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.

Store

• In an airtight container in the fridge or freezer

Slow Cooker

• This can certainly cooked in a slow cooker. However, as the time and amount of liquid varies between brands of slow cookers, base both on thick soup like recipes in the guide book for your specific slow cooker.

Grab Bag Formula Method

• If you've done the **Grab Bag Formula Short Course, this is the method to convert this recipe...
• Rinse the green split peas really well in a sieve.
• Place the split peas, pork chop, bacon, onion, garlic, celery, water, carrot, potato and sweet potato into the Grab Bag.
• Carefully seal your Grab Bag. I close most of the seal then press out as much air as I can then complete the seal. Place the Grab Bag in the freezer.
• To cook, remove the Grab Bag from the freezer, place on a baking tray and thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Tip the contents of the Grab Bag into a large oven proof dish (with a tight fitting lid) or Dutch oven. It may still be a bit frozen; that’s okay.
• Place the lid on the pot, set your oven to 150°C/300°F (fan-forced) and cook for 3 hours.
• Remove the pork from the bone (it should just fall away). Break any solid bits up and mix through the soup. I mash with a potato masher to break it all apart, but if you want a smooth soup, feel free to puree it.
• Sir through the leafy greens (if including) and allow them to wilt. Season to taste.
• ** The Grab Bag Formula Short Course is available to purchase for just AU$46 HERE.

  OR

  If you are a full-access Well Nourished Family member, the course is included in your membership and you can access in the members portal - HERE.

Variations

Onion and garlic-free

Substitute with a small bulb of fennel, diced finely and a pinch of cayenne.

Vegan

Omit the bacon and pork and add a tablespoon of smoked paprika and increase the salt to 1 tablespoon. You could also replace the water with vegetable stock if you like.

Add more veggies

Feel free to add in extra vegetables if you like. I sometimes add cauliflower and broccoli for the last 5 minutes of cooking.

 

I'd love to hear how you and your family enjoy this recipe. Leave a comment below or rate this recipe.  

Course: Soup

Author: Georgia Harding

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