Best 8 Joes Split Pea Bacon Ham Potato Soup Recipes

SPLIT PEA, BACON & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the bacon into one-inch strips and add to a large pot. Cook the bacon over medium heat until it is brown and crispy.
• While the bacon is browning, dice the onion and mince the garlic. Once the bacon has browned, add the onion and garlic to the pot and continue to cook and stir over medium heat. The moisture from the onions will dissolve the browned bits from the bottom of the pot and absorb the bacon flavor.
• Once the onions are soft and translucent (5 minutes), add the split peas, chicken broth, bay leaf, and a healthy dose of freshly cracked pepper (20-25 cranks of a pepper mill).
• Allow the soup to begin heating through while you peel and cube the potatoes. Cut the peeled potatoes into one-inch cubes then add them to the soup. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and bring it to a rolling boil. When it reaches a rolling boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer gently for 45 minutes.
• After 45 minutes of simmering, test the peas to make sure they are very soft. Turn the heat off and let the soup cool slightly. Remove the bay leaf and then use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup until it is creamy with a few chunks. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer a few cups at a time to a blender, drape a towel over the lid, and pulse the contents until smooth. Work in batches until half of the soup is blended smooth.
• Taste the soup and add additional salt as needed (I added about 1/2 teaspoon). Serve with crusty bread or garnishes like shredded cheddar cheese or sliced green onions.

SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown.
• Add the broth, water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.
• Remove the ham steak and place it on a plate; cover with foil and set aside. Stir in the carrots and celery and continue to simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, shred the ham steak into small bite-size pieces with two forks. Cover with foil again.
• Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Add the shredded ham to the soup and return to a simmer. Add a few grinds of pepper, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (depending on the saltiness of the ham and bacon you used, you may need an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh croutons, if using. (The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove; thin it with water and adjust seasoning as necessary.)
• Note: A ham steak is a thick slice of cooked ham cut from a whole ham roast. They can be found packaged in the refrigerated meat section of the supermarket, near the bacon.
• Note: Regular sliced bacon can be used, but the thinner slices are a little harder to remove from the soup.
• To Make Fresh Croutons: Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups of cubed good-quality French or Italian bread and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. The soup will thicken once cool, so thin with water and adjust seasoning as necessary.

JOE'S SPLIT PEA, BACON, HAM & POTATO SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas in a colandar and set aside.
• Medium chop red onion, celery, and green pepper, and cut bacon into small pieces.
• Add the bacon to a large soup pot, and render the bacon, on medium high heat, until crispy. Add onions, celery and green pepper to the bacon and bacon fat, and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the bay leaves, marjoram, black pepper, peas, water and bouillon granules and stir well. Add the ham bone and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1-1/2 hours (90 minutes), stirring occasionally.
• Remove the ham bone and allow to cool. Meanwhile, cut up the potatoes into bite sized pieces and add to the soup pot. If soup if too thick, add additional water. Remove any remaining ham from the ham bone, cut the ham into bite sized pieces, and return to the soup pot. Check the soup pot for large pieces of ham, hunks of fat, etc. Cut up the ham, and remove the hunks of fat. Continue to simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender.
• Serve and enjoy.

HEARTY SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH BACON

Steps:

• Dice bacon into 1/4-inch cubes. Place in a heavy 6-quart pot over medium-low heat. Cook until fat is rendered and translucent. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Cook until onion and garlic are soft and translucent. Season with salt and pepper.
• Add split peas, stir to coat with fat, and add bay leaves and 2 quarts stock. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so soup simmers. Skim foam that rises to the surface for about 10 minutes, until no more appears. Add thyme leaves. Simmer uncovered about 1 hour or longer, until peas are soft and starting to fall apart. Add more stock, as needed.
• Remove soup from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Purée soup in a food processor in several batches, short of perfect smoothness; you should be able to spoon up some texture. Reheat soup, skimming off any foam. Stir from the bottom to mix well, then ladle into bowls and serve.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

Steps:

• If using bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel. Once cool, crumble and set aside for garnish. If using ham hock: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then brown the ham hock until golden, about 6 minutes. If making the soup vegetarian: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
• Add the onion, leeks and garlic and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. (If the vegetables seem dry, add a little olive oil.) Stir in the carrots, paprika (if using), half the split peas, thyme and 8 cups stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until peas are tender.
• Mash the soup coarsely with a potato masher or give it a few quick blitzes with an immersion blender (watch out for the thyme sprigs). If you'd prefer a smoother soup, blitz until nearly smooth. Add the remaining 1/2 pound split peas and simmer about 1 hour, or until the peas are soft. If at any point the soup looks too thick, add more stock or water; if it looks too thin, remove the lid during the second simmer until it thickens. If using ham hocks, remove any meat from the bone, cut it into small cubes and stir into the soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crumbled bacon, if using, and lemon wedges.

OLD-FASHIONED SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM BONE

Steps:

• Sort peas and rinse with cold water. Place peas in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 to 4 hours or until peas are softened. Drain and rinse peas, discarding liquid., Return peas to Dutch oven. Add 2-1/2 qts. water, ham bone, onion, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally., Remove the ham bone; when cool enough to handle, remove meat from bone. Discard bone; dice meat and return to soup. Add carrot and celery. Simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes or until soup reaches desired thickness and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

JUDY'S HEARTY SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse one bag of split peas. Bring to a boil with 7 cups of water and 1 can of chicken broth. Cover and turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour.
• Turn burner back on medium heat and add the ham, (bone if you have it), onions, salt, pepper, marjoram, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to and allow to simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours.
• Add carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
• Remove the bay leaf and bone (if using) and serve.

SPLIT PEA,HAM AND BACON SOUP

Steps:

• Saute onion and garlic until tender.
• Brown bacon.
• Mix all ingredients together except last 4 cups of water.
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or however tender you prefer your peas.
• This is how I make it with the extra 4 cups of water.
• Saute onion and garlic until tender.
• Brown bacon.
• Mix all ingredients together including the last 4 cups of water.
• Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
• Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours (until about half of the peas are mush).
• If you prefer you may also add 3 tablespoons of flour to adjust your thickness.