Nici Wickes: Ham and Pea Soup

Why is it that when we’re sick, soup seems like the best answer? Try a steaming bowl of this classic. It’s nourishing (packed full of legumes), hearty, and easy to digest.    Makes 8-10 serves        Ingredients  1 bacon hock    500g green split peas    3L water   1 large onion, diced roughly    2 sticks celery, diced    2 carrots, diced    1 teaspoon sea salt + extra    ½ teaspoon pepper    2-3 tablespoons olive oil + extra for drizzling    Salt & pepper to season    Toasted bread to serve        Method  In a large pot, bring 3 litres of water, the ham hock, and split peas to a boil. Cover and cook for one hour. Skim off any foam that develops.   Add in onions, celery, and carrots and bring to the boil again. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for another 60-90 minutes or until the meat from the ham hock can easily be teased from the bone. This will depend on the size of the hock.    Remove the ham hock from the soup, peel away skin and discard. Strip the meat from the bone and shred into large pieces.    Use a wand blender to blend the soup smooth or leave it chunky if you prefer. Add more water to get a not-to-thick not-to-thin consistency.   Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed. Add the ham meat back into the soup.    Serve soup with plenty of buttery toast.        Make it your own Use 4 cups of frozen peas instead of split peas.    Can use bacon bones instead of a bacon hock.    LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.