I Can't Stop Making Soup: Split Pea with Ham edition

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I know I've posted this recipe before. Furthermore, I also acknowledge that it tends to get posted around New Year's, mostly due to the leftover ham available at this time of year. Lastly, I am positive that this soup will keep you warm and satisfied, therefore, I think it's fine that I just keep posting it.

This version (same recipe, different story) centers around a sudden desire I had a few weeks back to stock my freezer full of goodness. I never cook with the explicit intention of freezing portions. A friend of mine is convinced that it's cheaper for her to eat out (as a single diner) than to cook larger quantities of her food and freeze some for later. I'm giving this a go myself so I can test out if it just gets too boring to plow through a huge amount of the same food for a week (which I believe is one of her concerns) or if there is some merit to having a freezer full of meals at the ready.

In the first week, I ate approximately four servings, about half of what I made. In between other meals and holiday meals, this worked out fine for me. The second week was more of a challenge, even though I absolutely love Split Pea with Ham soup, it looses it's luster somewhat after having to eat it for so many meals.

For my next experiment, I'll need to freeze everything in individual portions so that I don't feel obligated to eat the same soup/meal every day until it's gone. I didn't plan out the portions properly and ended up with huge serving dishes of each soup. I may also sign up some other cooking-friendly friends who would make something and we could split our frozen portions, for some variety.

Either way, I am going to create a few recipes for my friend, have her make them, freeze individually, and see if she finds that she'll eat at home a bit more and could possibly even save a few bucks. I do acknowledge that not everyone thinks cooking is fun (like I do), so this experiment may not work, but it's really worth a try.

Split Pea with Ham Soup ala Gran Fran serves 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

  • 1 Package Green Split Peas (or about 12 ounces), rinsed
  • 1 Ham Hock (nitrate free is best)
  • 1 Large Yellow Onion, sliced
  • 2 Large Carrots, sliced
  • 4-6 Whole Cloves
  • Thyme
  • Bay Leaf
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed

Method:

  • Saute onions and carrots in the olive oil in a large non-reactive pan.
  • Place hamhock in the pan and brown on all sides.
  • Add washed peas, stirring over meium heat.
  • Pur boiling water to cover, about 4 cups, into pan (or as much as you need to actually cover the hamhock).
  • Add cloves, thyme, bay lead, pepper and garlic. Wait until the soup is further along in its cooking to add salt, since the handhock is fairly salty on its own).
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, partially cover the pan and simmer for 3 hours, stirring every now and then.
  • Let cool and refrigerate. Then skim all of the fat off the top.
  • Remove hamhock, dice the meat, and return to the soup.
  • Reheat soup and serve with toasted baguette and a nice glass of wine.