Recipe: Hearty Pea and Ham Soup

This hearty soup is packed with flavor, protein, and fiber. It’s loaded with healthy vegetables, from peas and carrots to potatoes, turnips, and leeks. The result is a beautifully blended creamy (but cream-less) puree. The low-sodium ham gives this soup a smoky, rich flavor. Have leftovers? This soup is even tastier the next day, once flavors have had a chance to meld.

Prep time: approximately 20 minutes
Cook time: approximately 2 hours 40 minutes
Total time: approximately 3 hours
Serves: 6
Serving size: 2 cups

Ingredients

• 1 pound low-sodium cooked, cured ham
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 2 ½ quarts water, divided
• 6 whole cloves
• 1 large carrot
• 2 medium stalks celery
• 1 leek, white part only
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium turnip
• 1 broccoli stem (reserve the florets for another use)
• 1 pound frozen peas

For garnish:

• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Cut the ham into cubes. Over medium heat, add olive oil, ham, and garlic to a large soup pot. Sauté until ham is browned, about 10 minutes. Add 2 cups of water and cloves. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes—adding more water if needed, stirring occasionally. The result will be a rich ham stock. Remove ham pieces from stock and set aside. Remove cloves and discard.

Wash all the vegetables. Roughly chop the carrot, celery, and leek. Quarter the onion, cube the potato, turnip, and broccoli stem. Add them to the pot with the remaining ½ quart of water. Bring the pot to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered. Remember to stir occasionally as you go. Add the ham stock and cook another 20 minutes, then add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the soup to cool for 30 minutes. This is simply a precaution before adding to the blender.

Blend the soup in stages, adding a few ladles of soup to the blender and blending until smooth, then transferring back a large bowl. Repeat until the soup is completely blended, then pour back into soup pot.

Add the ham cubes and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve.

MOBE kitchen tips:

• If you have an immersion blender, use it for blending the soup completely right in the pot, as you’ll save quite a bit of time and have fewer dishes to wash. Just be careful, as the soup is very hot.
• If you have leftovers, let soup cool and add to freezer bags, ensuring most of the air is out when lying flat. It’s perfect for taking out individual portions at a time.

Recipe notes:

• Though it will change the flavor profile, you can make this soup vegetarian by removing the ham.
• You can reserve some of the browned ham cubes for garnishing on top of the soup.
• Serve the soup with toasted whole grain bread, if desired.
• If you’re looking for other delicious soup recipes, try this Butternut Apple Squash Bisque or a savory Rhode Island Clam Chowder.

Nutrition facts per serving

Calories: 280 / Total Fat: 11g (14% DV) / Saturated Fat: 3g (15% DV) / Trans Fat: 0g / Cholesterol: 45mg (15% DV) / Sodium: 780mg (34% DV) / Total Carbohydrate: 23g (8% DV) / Dietary Fiber: 6g (21% DV) / Total Sugars: 7g / Added Sugar: 0g (0% DV) / Protein: 23g / Vitamin D: 1mcg (6% DV) / Calcium: 77mg (6% DV) / Iron: 3mg (15% DV) / Potassium: 572mg (10% DV)

Allergen statement: n/a

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