Split Pea and Ham Soup

Step 1

Place the ham hock or ham bone in a large pot and rinse it under cold running water, turning it over to wash all sides, about 30 seconds.

Step 2

Peel the carrots and lay one on a cutting board with the pointed tip away from you; slice straight down perpendicular to the board into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons, like cutting a log.

Step 3

Repeat with the second carrot, creating the same 1/4-inch half-moons; set the cut carrots in a small bowl.

Step 4

Place one celery stalk on the cutting board with the leafy end pointing left; slice straight down into 1/4-inch-thick pieces; repeat with the second stalk and set aside.

Step 5

Cut the onion in half from root to tip, peel away the papery skin, place cut-side down on the board, and slice lengthwise from root to tip into 1/4-inch-wide strips, like cutting a whole apple into wedges.

Step 6

Pour 8 cups of water into the pot with the ham hock, place the pot on the stove over high heat, and wait until large bubbles break the surface rapidly, about 8 minutes.

Step 7

Add the 2 cups of dried split peas to the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds to distribute them, so no peas sit on the bottom uncooked.

Step 8

Add the sliced carrots, celery, onion, 2 bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of thyme to the pot and stir once to mix everything together.

Step 9

Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently with a quiet, steady sizzle (not a rolling boil), and cover the pot with a lid.

Step 10

Simmer the soup for 30 minutes, stirring once every 8 minutes to prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Step 11

Carefully remove the ham hock from the pot using tongs and set it on a cutting board to cool for 2 minutes until it is safe to touch.

Step 12

Once cool enough to touch, pull the meat away from the ham hock bone using your fingers and a fork; discard the bone and any skin, and chop the meat into 1/2-inch pieces.

Step 13

Return the chopped ham meat to the soup pot and stir once to combine; taste a spoonful, and if the split peas have broken down into a creamy texture, the soup is ready.

Step 14

Remove the pot from the heat, pick out and discard the 2 bay leaves using a spoon or tongs, then ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately while hot.