This split pea soup with ham is ready in one hour and is the perfect way to use up leftover ham from Christmas, New Year’s or Easter and turn it into something spectacular: a hearty, comforting Venezuelan recipe that goes a long way.
The peas cook down into a thick, flavorful base, the ham adds a smoky depth and the butter ties it all together. A winter soup that is good for the belly and for the soul.
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The Art of Using Up Leftovers
I love leftover cooking. Not just because it makes me feel like I’m running a tighter kitchen. I love it, above all, because it forces me to get creative and make the most of whatever I have in the fridge.
This split pea soup with ham is a perfect example of that kind of cooking: the kind my grandmother Ligia had mastered. And no wonder. She raised eight children and helped bring up several grandchildren, me being the first.
After New Year’s Eve dinner I had leftover ham and decided to make this split pea soup. I add diced carrots for texture and color, and a little bay leaf because its flavor takes me straight back to my mother’s and grandma’s kitchens.
Enjoy!
Enri
About Split Peas
Split peas — known in Venezuela as arvejas and in other Spanish-speaking countries as guisantes secos, alberjas or chícharos— are a legume of Mediterranean origin that arrived in the Americas with the Spanish colonizers and became deeply rooted in Venezuelan cooking.
Unlike black beans and chickpeas, split peas require no soaking and cook in under half an hour, making them an ideal base for thick, comforting soups.
Ingredientes
To make this split pea soup with ham you will need:
- Split peas
- Water
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cooked ham
- Celery
- Carrots
- Parsley
- Bay leaves
- Coarse sea salt
- Freshly ground white pepper
Exact amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Split Pea Soup with Ham
- Cook the peas. Add the water and split peas to a large pot over medium heat and cook until they begin to soften.
- Make the sofrito. Melt the butter in a skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the ham and celery and cook for a few more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Bring it all together. Ladle some of the pea broth into the skillet with the vegetables and ham and simmer over low heat. Then add everything back into the main pot along with the parsley and bay leaves.
- Finish the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer over low heat until the peas are completely tender and the soup has body. Remove the parsley and bay leaves before serving.
Tip: For an even thicker soup, mash some peas against the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. It thickens naturally, no thickeners needed.
FAQs
Did You Know…?
Split peas have been a source of human nutrition for more than 10,000 years. They are among the oldest crops documented by archaeology, with evidence of consumption in the Near East and Mediterranean dating back to the Neolithic period. Their ability to dry and keep without refrigeration made them an essential food for sailors, armies and colonizers throughout history.
Source: FAO — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Legumes: Seeds of Life, 2016.
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Venezuelan Split Green Pea Soup with Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb split green peas, rinsed 450 gr
- 2 quarts water 8 cups / 2,000 ml
- 2 Tablespoons butter 30 g
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped 160 g
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ lb cooked ham, diced 225 g
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 cups carrots, diced 280 g
- 4 parsley sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- Coarse sea salt
- White pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, combine the water and split peas. Cook for 20 minutes, uncovered.
- Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ham to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes.
- Add the celery and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Ladle 2 cups (480 ml) of the pea broth into the skillet with the vegetables and ham. Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Pour the vegetable and ham mixture into the pot with the peas. Add the parsley and bay leaves.
- Season with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat until the peas are completely tender and the soup has body, about 25 more minutes.
- Discard the parsley and bay leaves.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
Notes
- Nutritional values are approximate and were automatically calculated by WordPress Recipe Maker. They may vary depending on the specific ingredients and brands you use.
- This soup keeps for 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- When reheating, add water little by little — the soup thickens considerably once cold.
- For a gluten free version, make sure your ham contains no gluten-based additives.
- This soup tastes even better the next day. Make it ahead if you can.
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