Split pea and barley soup
by
This hearty, warming split pea soup is a special recipe handed down to Shaun Rankin by his mother. The contrasting textures of the rich ham hock, earthy split peas and nutty barley make this soup recipe a winter favourite, whether as a starter or as a main meal.
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 ham hock
- 1 carrot , peeled
- 1 onion , peeled and halved
- 2 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 150g of pearl barley
- 200g of yellow split peas
- 150g of red lentils
- salt
- black pepper
To plate
- 1 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley , chopped
- 1/2 loaf of crusty bread
Method
1
Place the ham hock in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 1 hour. Drain and cover once more with cold water
- 1 ham hock
2
Add the carrot, onion, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours
- 1 carrot
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
3
Remove the carrot and onion, add the pearl barley and yellow split peas and cook for a further 50 minutes
- 150g of pearl barley
- 200g of yellow split peas
4
Add the red lentils and cook for another 10 minutes. The ham should now fall off the bone. If not, simmer for a further 15 minutes
- 150g of red lentils
5
Once cooked, carefully remove the ham hock from the saucepan with a large spoon, set aside on a plate and allow to cool just enough so you can remove the meat from the bone
6
Tear the meat into chunks – it’s entirely up to you what size you want to keep the ham pieces. Return the ham to the saucepan to warm through. Season with pepper and taste before adding any salt
7
Ladle into soup bowls and finish with some chopped fresh parsley. Serve hot straight away with some crusty bread
- 1 tbsp of flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 loaf of crusty bread
Discover more:
Go to Comments
Split pea and barley soup
