Pea & Ham Soup

Pea & Ham Soup (makes a huge pot full)




1 large Bacon Hock (or two small ones)
40grams butter
4 small onions
6 sticks celery
4 medium carrots
2 tablespoons parsley (use half for garnish)
garlic (I used three or four cloves)
cracked black pepper (add to your taste)
1kg green dried split peas (rinsed and drained)
4 bay leaves1.5 litres of water
2 litres of vegetable stock
3 teaspoons of thyme leaves


1. Dice onion, celery and carrot. Melt butter and add onion, celery and carrot. Cook over low heat until soft.


2. Add parsley, thyme, hocks, split peas, bay leaves, pepper, garlic, water and stock.


3. Simmer covered for an hour. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 1.5 hours or until bacon has fallen off the hock. Remove the hock from the soup and cut off any remaining meat. Add meat back into soup.

4. Stir remaining parsley back into soup and serve with homemade garlic  bread.