my grandma's pea & ham soup

My grandma has been making this soup for as long as I can remember! It's a wonderful way to warm the soul on a cold wintry day as well as getting the added bonus of good nutrition. It tastes divine with a piece of crusty sourdough bread spread with butter.

In our fast paced world, we tend not to do a lot of cooking that requires cooking meat on the bone. However, this ancient practice provides our bodies with a rich source of collagen, gelatin, glucosaminoglycans and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium and phosphate. The gelatin that comes from cooking meat on the bone helps improve and support our liver function, digestion, joint health, sleep, muscle recovery, and skin, hair and nail growth.

In this recipe, as I like to do in all on my recipes I've left the skin on the vegetables. Not only does it save time in the cooking process but it also provides a wonderful source of fibre and nutrition. It is important however, to wash your vegetables well to remove any dirt and chemicals, particularly if they aren't organic.

my grandma's pea & ham soup

(serves 6-8)

1 garlic clove, chopped finely

1 onion, diced

olive oil/ghee for frying

1 apple, skin on, diced

1 carrot, skin on, diced

3 sticks celery, chopped 

1 potato, skin on, diced

1 swede (optional), skin on, diced

750g bacon bones

500g split green peas

2.5L filtered water

parsley to serve

salt and pepper to season

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil or ghee and add all of the diced vegetables. Fry for 5 minutes until softened. Add remaining ingredients and turn heat down to low. Simmer gently for 2-3 hours, stirring every 20 minutes or so (I put the timer on to remind myself as I have a tendency to forget about things and burn them!) 

Remove the bacon bones and the meat should fall of the bone. Place the meat back into the soup and discard the bones. At this point you may need to add an extra 1/2 L of water if the consistency is becoming too thick. The water level tends to evaporate over the period of cooking time. Either serve immediately or freeze or refrigerate for later use. Serve with parsley and sourdough bread.

NOTES

If you have an extra large saucepan you can double this batch and freeze a portion for later use

Please bear in mind this soup burns easily so remember to stir it regularly during the cooking process.