Last week, the snow came a'falling and I caught the cold that's been going around the state. When I'm feeling under the weather, a hearty, nourishing bowl of steaming split pea soup studded with ham is exactly what the doctor ordered. Plus, this recipe is a nostalgic one, because I developed it in response to a special request from a sweet friend and fellow Alaskan who adores split pea soup.
This recipe is high in protein, inexpensive and amazingly good for you. It's stick-to-your-ribs, warm-you-up-in-cold-weather good. And the homemade lemon and olive oil croutons are pretty amazing. They give you the texture and crunch you'll want to contrast with the soup, and the lemon delightfully cuts right through the richness and thickness of it all.
Split pea soup with lemon and olive oil croutons
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, greens removed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups dry split peas
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ham hock*
8-10 cups** of water
1 1/2 cups potato, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Chives, for serving (optional)
For the croutons:
2 cups cubed French bread
Olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
1. To a large pot, add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, peas, bay leaves, thyme, salt, pepper and ham hock. Cover with water, turn heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. When the soup comes to a simmer, a bubbly film will rise to the top of the pot. Skim this off and discard (if you get some vegetables and herbs when you skim, simply rinse them and return them to the pot). Then, cover the soup, leaving the lid just slightly open, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often so the soup doesn't stick as it thickens, about one hour.
2. Remove the ham hock and place on a cutting board to cool. Add the potatoes to the soup and stir. Cover and cook another 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the peas are no longer firm (they turn to mush and become the thick base of the soup). During this time, remove the meat from the hock and chop it up finely, discarding any fat. Stir the ham into the soup.
3. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves and stir in the fresh lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot with chives, if using, and croutons. (If you prefer a smoother soup, you can blend all or some of it with an immersion blender until the desired texture is achieved. I prefer mine hearty and chunky, so I don't blend it.)
4. For the croutons: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place the cubed French bread on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake the bread for 15-20 minutes or until it is dry to the touch on the exterior.
5. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Drizzle the bread generously with olive oil and toss to coat. Cook in the frying pan in batches, turning often, until croutons are golden and toasted, adding more olive oil if needed to get them crispy and browned. Season with sea salt and black pepper and top with fresh lemon zest. Serve warm over soup.
* Ham hocks can typically be found near the whole hams in the meat section at the market. My two-pounds-plus pack of hocks included two small hocks and one larger hock. I froze the two smaller ones and used the largest one for this soup.
**Use 8 cups water for thick soup, 10 cups water for thinner soup.
Maya Evoy lives in Nikiski and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.