Monday, January 4, 2016

Christmas Ham & Split Pea Soup



My mother was always known for her Christmas morning brunch. Over the years (and, surely, she did this for fifty of them), they became legendary. She would put on a better spread than a lot of local restaurants. Honestly, I don't know how she did it. She was in her mid-eighties when she hosted her last. I'm thirty years younger than she was, and a big party always lays me low.

When she passed away, what will be three years next month, the family asked me if I was going to take over the brunch. No, I thought the brunch should end with her. No one could do it the way that she did. So, I started a new tradition with a Christmas Eve luncheon that featured a spiral ham from our Honey Baked Ham Store. It is the one time of the year when I will welcome being 29th in line (yep) to pick up a ham. The lunch was delicious. I served it with
Brandy Mashed Sweet Potatoes, a delicious broccoli cheese casserole, garden salad, and a dessert that my mother used to make at Christmas time called Chocolate Mint Freeze. The best part of all of this, though, was having that wonderful ham bone left over to use for soup.

I never thought that I much cared for pea soup until I made this recipe with a Honey Baked Ham bone (and, no, this is not a sponsored post, I just love their ham), but I find this soup so good that it's hard to stop eating it. Now that the weather has taken a cold turn I'll be making a lot of soup. What a great way to greet winter!
Christmas Ham & Split Pea Soup

1 1/2 pounds Honey Baked ham bone
2 cups dried split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 quart cold water
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried marjoram
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


In a large stock pot, simmer the ham bone, peas, onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, basil, marjoram, thyme, and black pepper in water and chicken stock for 60 minutes. Remove ham bone and let it cool. Bring soup back to a simmer and cook on low, stirring occasionally, for an additional 60 minutes. Remove ham from ham bone, dice, and add to soup. Heat through. Remove bay leaves and serve.

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7 comments:

Linda said...

LOVE split pea soup!! My store often has ham bones, so I will be gathering ingredients for this.

Vicki @ lifeinmyemptynest said...

I love split pea soup in the winter. My brother in law brought the ham this year and took the leftovers including the bone :-(

Unknown said...

Lovely recipe! I have just finished my ham and wrapped the bone for the freezer - too hot for soup, just yet but I know it will make a delicious soup in winter!

Linda said...

I went to the store and got ham hocks and a bag of split peas, came home and made this soup - it is so, so good! I am not a bay leaf person, so I left that out, and I halved the recipe (because the word "pea" is in the recipe and hubby won't eat peas), but it is wonderful stuff!

Hardlyagoddess said...

I just made this...delicious! Found you from Miz Helen's link up! Seriously...my husband thanks you!

Miz Helen said...

Great idea Patti, it is time to use some of that left over ham in a delicious Pea Soup. Your recipe looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday and have a great day!
Come Back Soon,
Miz Helen

Debbie - Mountain Mama said...

Oh boy, I've been on your site for 5 minutes and pinned 4 recipes already! Thanks for stopping in to visit my blog....now I've found yours!