Let’s face it – split pea soup can be horrifying. Done wrong, split pea soup is sludgy, unpalatable and usually an unfortunate shade of green. Cooked my way, split pea soup is golden like sunshine and redolent with the savory deliciousness of ham and onion. This is a humble and hearty soup, perfect for dunking a black pepper parmesan biscuit. The biscuit’s peppery bite is the perfect compliment to the saltiness of the ham. And underneath it all are the earthy golden split peas, which break down into a rich, creamy porridge-like broth. This soup freezes and reheats well, so whip up a double batch and save some for a long winter’s night.
GOLDEN SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM AND BLACK PEPPER PARMESAN BISCUITS
For the soup:
1 pound dried golden split peas
6-7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 big garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
1 ham hock or 1 leftover ham bone with plenty of meat on it
1 bay leaf
Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat.
Add celery, onions, carrots and garlic. Saute the vegetables until softened, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid sticking and burning the garlic.
Add six cups of broth and bring to a simmer.
Add peas. Stir thoroughly.
Add ham hock or ham bone. Add bay leaf.
Cover and simmer for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. If the soup looks too thick for your liking, add another cup of broth.
Before serving, remove bay leaf and ham from the pot. Shred or cut meat off the ham bone into bite size pieces. Return ham pieces to the soup and stir thoroughly. Simmer for another few minutes.
Serve piping hot.
Serves 6.
For the biscuits:
3 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt into a large mixing bowl.
Stir the parmesan and black pepper into the flour.
Use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Or, use your fingers to rub the shortening into the flour.
Slowly pour in the milk while stirring with a fork. Stir until a soft dough forms.
Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Knead the dough for about 30 strokes.
Use your hands to pat out the dough on the board into a thick rectangle. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the rectangle until it is about 2/3 inch thick. Cut into twelve equal pieces.
Place biscuits on baking sheet one inch apart.
Back for 15 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve warm.
Makes 12 biscuits.
Revel & Feast 