Split Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients

• 1.8 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
• 500 g green split peas, rinsed under cold water
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• salt and white pepper
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced into rounds
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 300 g smoked bacon lardons
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 celery sticks, finely diced

Method

1. Warm the sunflower oil in a large lidded pot over a medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until golden at the edges. Lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside on a small plate.
2. Tip the onion, leeks, carrots and celery into the remaining fat. Cook gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything is soft and the leeks have collapsed into the pot.
3. Stir in the crushed garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Return the lardons, then add the split peas and bay leaves.
4. Pour over the stock and bring to a vigorous boil for 5 minutes; this matters for split peas. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover loosely and cook for 50–60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the peas have completely broken down into a thick, creamy soup.
5. Fish out the bay leaves. Using a stick blender, blitz roughly half the soup against the side of the pot for a thick, slightly chunky texture rather than a smooth purée.
6. Stir through the wholegrain mustard and season generously with white pepper and salt. If it feels very thick, loosen with a splash of hot water until you reach your preferred consistency.
7. Ladle into warm bowls and finish with a good crack of black pepper. To batch: cool completely, then freeze in portions; add a splash of water when reheating, as the soup thickens further on standing.