Hearty Pea Potato and Ham Soup

I had some lovely pea soup at a restaurant recently and wanted to duplicate it at home. In my mind, I guessed the mechanics of making pea soup, but I’d never done it before so it would be a nice challenge to my skills I went home and checked and found a can of tinned green peas in my cupboard. I had no idea how it got there so last weekend I decided to try making pea soup for a simple dinner.

At the last minute, I had 2 additional unexpected guests so to make it a heartier soup, I added potato. It turned out to be an excellent idea because the potato made the soup thicker and more satisfying, without the need to add cream (not that I would in any event).

I knew after making this soup that I’d found a winning recipe. It would be perfect for cold winter days or rainy days here or simply for a simple no fuss dinner on days when I don’t feel too hungry. Here’s my easy recipe for a hearty pea potato and ham soup.

You Need:

• 1 can of green peas 200g or similar frozen peas
• 2 medium sized potatos peeled and cut into cubes
• 200g of ham chips
• 1 medium sized onion cut into quarters
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of mixed herbs and salt to taste
• Water

Serves: 2-3 persons

How to:

1. In a pot saute the onion and ham chips in some olive oil. Don’t use too much oil or the soup may be too oily.
2. When the onions are soft, add in about 500ml of water. Cover and bring to the boil.
3. When water boils, add in the peas and potato cubes. Turn down the fire and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes
4. After 20 minutes taste and add a bay leaf and salt or mixed herbs to taste.
5. Continue simmering for a further 15 minutes until the potatoes are soft. The soup will be green and rather thick at this point. If you like your soup chunky you may serve it as it is.
6. If you prefer it creamy, turn off the fire and remove the bay leaf and ham chips from the soup. Pour into a blender and pulse blend for a few seconds to make it smooth and creamy. I use the Braun Multimix Pulse tool straight into the soup so I don’t have the hassle of pouring it out again.
7. Reheat the creamed soup and serve with warmed or toasted hard rolls or french baguette.

It was absolutely delicious! The ham chips added a smokey flavour to the soup. Also because the ham chips are salty in themselves, there is no need to add more salt unless you prefer it slightly saltier. It was thick and hearty and yummy! I might even try it cold as part of my Bento lunch boxes later. I’ll report if it works as well.

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Tagged as: Non-Halal, Pork, Soup, Vegetables