Split Pea Soup And Ham (Cooks Illustrated)

• doses: 6-8 people
• tempo ativo: 20 minutes
• tempo total: 45 minutes

Ingredientes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped fine

Salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

7 cups water

1 ham steak (about 1 pound), skin removed, cut into

quarters

3 slices thick-cut bacon

1 pound green split peas (2 cups), picked over and

rinsed

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¹⁄2-inch pieces

1 celery rib, cut into ¹⁄2-inch pieces

1 recipe BUTTER CROUTONS (optional)

Instruções

1. Heat butter in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and ¹⁄2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion is softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme, and bay leaves. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer, stirring frequently to keep peas from sticking to bottom. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.

2. Remove ham steak, cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent drying out, and set aside. Stir in carrots and celery and continue to simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender and peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.

3. When cool enough to handle, shred ham into small bite-size pieces. Remove and discard thyme, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Stir ham back into soup and return to simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. If necessary, thin it with water when reheating.)

Notas

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

We wanted a spoon-coating, richly flavorful broth studded with tender shreds of sweet-smoky meat, all without requiring the old-fashioned ham bone traditionally used to infuse the soup with flavor. Substituting ham hock made the soup greasy and was skimpy on the meat. Ham steak, however, was plenty meaty and infused the soup with a fuller pork flavor. Without the bone, our soup needed richness and smokiness, and adding a few strips of raw bacon to the pot did the job. Unsoaked peas broke down just as well as soaked and were better at absorbing the flavor of the soup.

Four ounces of regular sliced bacon can be used, but the thinner slices are a little harder to remove from the soup. Depending on the age and brand of split peas, the consistency of the soup may vary slightly. If the soup is too thin at the end of step 3, increase the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the desired consistency is reached. If it is too thick, thin it with a little water. In addition to sprinkling the soup with the Butter Croutons, we also like to garnish it with fresh peas, chopped mint, and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar.