Last updated on March 6th, 2016
I made this exotic-sounding soup for supper last Sunday, and it was love at first sip. To my surprise, Pinot Grigio — the soup’s secret ingredient — brings out the earthy, “green” taste of common split peas. It compliments the smoky flavor of ham hocks, too.
The wine addition was the result of bad planning on my part. I had only four cups of chicken stock on hand, when my recipe required six. What to do? I made up the difference with Pinot Grigio, and it was a fortunate stroke of serendipity.
Silver Fox and I polished off the soup in just one sitting. But that’s okay. I made another batch this morning, so that you can try it, too!
Here’s the photographic step-by-step, followed by a printer-friendly version that you can print out with just one click:
To start, peel 4 large, exceptionally-handsome carrots…
Peel and mince a large white onion, too.
Then, if you like a meaty soup — I certainly do — chop up 1 pound of ham into 1/2-inch cubes. You can find already-chopped (or “cubed”) ham in 1 pound packages at most American supermarkets.
Next, pour a glug of good olive oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven. In the photo above, I’m using a blue, enameled cast-iron Dutch oven manufactured by Lodge. It was obtained from this online source.
And by the way, lots of pea soup recipe-writers insist that we saute our veggies until soft before adding any liquid. That step isn’t necessary for this soup. The addition of olive oil is purely for flavor. Or for flavour, if you reside in the U.K. or Canada.
Action shot: Dump the veggies and the cubed ham into the pot, and stir to mix.
Then add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, several grinds of black pepper, and…
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves. (If using fresh leaves, triple the amount.)
Now cover the works with 4 cups unsalted chicken stock…
And 2 whole, honking cups of Italian Pinot Grigio. (French Sauvignon Blanc would work as well.)
Next, add 1 pound of dried, split peas…
And 2 smoked ham hocks (about 1 pound total). Bury the hocks beneath in the soup. Ham hocks lend an indescribably wonderful smokey accent, so please don’t omit them. And be sure to used smoked, not salt-cured, hocks.
No pictures of these next steps: Bring the soup to a boil on the stove top. Then cover the pot, and let the soup simmer quietly until the carrots are tender — about 90 minutes.
Shall we make some croutons to go with our soup?
Put some butter and olive oil in a large skillet, and heat oven a medium flame until the butter melts, and its foam subsides.
Then add 8 1/2-inch-thick slices of a crusty baguette. Fry the bread for a few minutes on each side, or until they are golden-brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt or sea salt.
Back to our soup. Using tongs, remove the ham hocks. If you wish, you can try to pull off any meat, but trust me, you’ll be wasting your time. Ham hocks offer very little usable meat. Their purpose is flavor, not food. That’s why we added cubed ham when we assembled the soup.
Notice how the peas still look a little…rough?
Stir the soup with a ladle, et voila! — the peas will puree themselves!
Ladle the soup into bowls or mugs, and top each serving with a crisp baguette crouton. Pour out some goblets of Pinot Grigio, too.
This morning, I brought Brenda Johnson a bowl of this bliss to taste-test. Shall I tell you what happened after she took a sip?
1) The clouds parted.
2) The angels sang.
3) Brenda held her hand to her head, and began to speak in tongues.
You’ll have a mouth orgasm, too, if only you will try this soup. Do me proud and make a batch, okay?
Here’s the printable:
You'd be amazed at what 2 cups of Pinot Grigio can do for ordinary pea soup. The wine brings out the "green" taste of the dried peas, while complimenting and accenting the smokiness of ham hocks. The addition of cubed ham makes this soup a complete meal.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 1 large onion, peeled and minced
- 1 pound cubed ham (available in the grocery store)
- 4 cups (946ml) unsalted chicken stock
- 2 cups (473ml) Pinot Grigio wine
- 1 pound dried split peas
- Seasonings: kosher salt and dried thyme leaves (1 teaspoon of each); freshly-ground pepper
- 2 smoked ham hocks (about 1 pound total); not "salt-cured"
Instructions
- Tip the olive oil into a 6-quart Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onion, and cubed ham, and stir to mix. Cover with the chicken stock and wine, then add the dried peas and the seasonings. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then cover the pot, reduce the heat, and simmer quietly until the carrots are tender -- about 90 minutes. Remove and discard the ham hocks (or do your best to remove the scant amount of meat from the hocks, and add to the soup). Gently stir the soup with a ladle to break up or "puree" the peas. Ladle the soup into bowls, and serve with baguette croutons and goblets of (what else?) Pinot Grigio.
(Update: Many readers have asked about the blue and white bowl/plate pictured above. I obtained both from this online source.)
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Paula says
Sounds amazing! But I have never, ever been able to get split peas to cook in under 3 hours. Doesn’t matter where I live, the results are always the same. I’ve read that acids keep them from cooking, so I also wonder how your peas cooked so fast in the wine. Perhaps it’s the chicken broth rather than water from the tap?
Ava says
I’ve been thinking of “split pea” soup….I have a lovely ham bone left from my Sunday baked ham. Wow and then you posted this recipe. It the same as mine without the wine. I’m off to the store for some lovely Pinot. Thanks for all you do, can’t wait for the cookbook.
Mary in Iowa says
I can almost catch the smoky fragrance and taste the pinot-ey, perfect-for-winter flavor. Sipping soup visually doesn’t trigger Brenda’s other-worldly after effects. In the photographic version, I detected no evidence of peas in the pea soup. 🙂
Judy says
On my way to town to get ingredients!!! Cold and rainy day today so this will be wonderful. I love pea soup but have never used the wine. MMMMM can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe.
Patti Panuccio says
Happy!
Rose says
Hey, Kevin, add the peas to your process directions. It’s covered in the print version, but I had to check back in the process/picture version three times and still cannot find the peas mentioned, other than one of the top pics showing the dried peas being held over the soup mixture.
Trudi says
OK! gone to the store!
Delores says
Yup!! Me too!!!! on my to grocery store–perfect for a winter eat!! Thanks for sharing the recipe
Abby Wilson says
Does Silver Fox know how lucky he is??? Of course he does but, I had to say it!!! You are DIVINE !
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary and Rose — Fixed!
Arden | Real-Food-Real-Life.com says
We LOVE split pea soup but I’l admit it never occurred to me to add wine. Definitely will do it this way next time around (which might be very soon, now that I’ve drooled over your recipe). Thanks as always!
Linda A says
Hi Kevin, I use one cup of Pinot Grigio in the bean, sausage, kale soup I make and it’s great. Two cups, huh? Well, I suppose that would make it extra delicious.
You got me curious about the saute because I think it does make a difference in flavor. Here’s an interesting article that explains why: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/08/ask-the-food-lab-do-i-need-to-saute-vegetables-when-starting-a-stew.html
I think it allows one to layer in or build flavor. It has to do with the concentration of heat which allows the flavors to co-mingle – something you don’t get in a large pot of water. (A large pot of wine might be the exception but then it’s the wine that’s doing all the work; not the vegetables.) Hmmm … well, it makes sense to me. Thanks for making me think about this!
Karen Smith says
Funny that you mentioned not having to sauté vegetables for soup. I just made soup and was rushed for time so I did not sauté, but in the back of my mind I felt that I was sacrificing flavor. Isn’t the reason that they say to sauté because it brings out favors in the vegetables? I always wondered. I love your blog and your blue dishes! What is the maker of those dishes?
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Linda and Karen – I do saute the veggies for certain soups/stews, such this Thyme and Wine Beef Stew. When sauteed to the point of caramelization, the veggies really do sweeten the works. But pea soup seems to have a natural sweetness, especially when white wine is added to the brew.
Deborah says
My husband is retired while I still am working:(. I just forwarded this to him and asked him to make it for dinner tomorrow (We are expecting cold, snowy weather – should be a perfect soup night). For last 8 months he has been cooking and really enjoying it. Your step by step instructions are great (also very entertaining). Thanks for making his retirement so enjoyable.
Jan says
This sounds wonderful. I absolutely love split pea soup but have never made it with wine. I can’t wait to try this! I still have some cubed ham in my freezer left over from Christmas, so this will be perfect for it. Thanks for your great recipes. I, too, can’t wait for your cookbook.
Carolyn Contois says
How can I resist!!!!
Mary W says
Well once you mentioned having a secret ingredient I had to read further. One of my favorite late night treats (and I have my 5 grandkids hooked also) is to take frozen tiny peas (no sauce) and put them in a custard cup and sit watching TV or laptop using an iced tea spoon and eat them frozen. DELICIOUS. What secret ingredient could I add to make this a wonderful dessert that could actually be called a recipe? Counting on your inventiveness.
Vanessa says
I’m sitting at work taking a lunch break enjoying a left-over piece of your yummy Turkey meatloaf while catching up on emails. I always look forward to yours. This pea soup recipe sounds amazing and just the antidote for a winter’s day. I’m looking forward to making it this weekend when I have time to cook. I’m a recent admirer and SOOO glad I happened upon your website. Thanks Kevin!
Pamela S says
Kevin, I know when you posted this on facebook there were several people also asking about the beautiful dishes you served this in. Do you have the pattern name? And great looking soup by the way. I have had pea soup with a splash of brandy before in a French restaurant, so I suppose this is similar. Cant wait to try it.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Mary W – thanks for the frozen-peas-as-dessert challenge. I’m on it!
Hi Vanessa – Welcome aboard!
Hi Pamela S – You’ll find information concerning the blue and white bowl/plate beneath the printable recipe above. I added the link just now.
Sarah says
Too amazing! I just came back from the store where I purchased split peas to make soup for tomorrow nights supper with smoked pork rib ends I got from a marvelous local meat market.. Your method is so close to mine it’s uncanny….we must be channeling each other Kevin. That is kind of spooky, in the nicest of ways!!
Pam says
Yum! I’ve been wanting pea soup….sans the meat. I will try adding the wine. Love your posts, Kevin!
Marny says
Thanks to my favourite blogger for honouring our Canadian spelling of flavour 🙂 The soup looks scrumptious!
Denise says
I was planning on making split pea soup today but ditched my recipe for yours because yours was a lot easier! Didn’t have any Pinot so I used all broth and it is still delicious! Easy, tasty, healthy, who could ask for anything more?
Arlene says
Love pea soup. But I must tell you, the ham hocks we use are from Gartners Meat Market in Portland, OR and they are nothing but meat and not a waste of time. Sorry I digress, this soup sounds heavenly. We will try soon…. That’s Kevin
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Denise – Glad you liked the soup, even if it was missing the “secret” ingredient!
Hi Arlene – How lucky you are to have meaty ham hocks available locally. I’m jealous!
selma says
Love this variation on Split Pea Soup Our fave wine is French Sauvignon Blanc so will use that! Cant wait to try this! Thanks Kevin!
Looneymaple says
We are house-bound in freezing rain along the St. Laurence River. I made this soup this morning. It smelled heavenly. The clouds did not part nor did the angels sing but I expect tomorrow this will happen. Isn’t it true that pea soup thickens up nicely over night and the flavour develops? Looking forward to lunch tomorrow and speaking in tongues. HAha.
Beverly, zone 6, eastern PA says
I love the look of that toasted bread sticking out of the soup bowl. Those blue and white china pieces set it off perfectly.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Looneymaple – So glad you made the soup. Yes, the soup is awesome on day one. But it’s even better – and thicker – on day two!
Sheila says
Very tasty—wine was wonderful addition.
One question—are split peas supposed to be crunchy—even after cooking?. Or should they be be pre soaked?
Addie B in Florida says
I made this soup today and wow! It’s fabulous – my husband is in raptures over it! He’s not a bread eater so I didn’t attempt the baguette recipe (and I must admit I was a little intimidated by it, but that’s just me). The soup was so easy to make and you were so clever to add the wine – thank you for yet another wonderful recipe.
This weekend I’m making your Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon cake to follow a crockpot pork stroganoff recipe that is terrific as well, with a little tweak from me.
Cheers, Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Sheila – Glad to hear the soup worked out for you. Old split peas can take a little longer to cook. They should not be crunchy.
Hi Addie B – Music to my ears. I think you’ll love the Chocolate Cabernet Sauvignon cake, too!
Elke Pfliegl says
I just made the soup and it is incredible!! Absolutely perfect, don’t know how I’ll be able to eat just one bowl. I’ll be sharing this recipe with my Facebook ladies. Thanks Kevin! This is a keeper
Gloria says
I am making the soup now for a Birthday present for my husband-I want it to sit over night and remove any extra fat that sets-Plus the flavor should just intensify.
We will eat it tomorrow night as we watch the Oscar’s Red Carpet event-No one there will be as happy as we will be in front of the fire with good friends and your soup!!!!!!
Margaret Califano says
Kevin, it works great with Sauvignon blanc and veggie broth, too. Pantry issues. Delicious!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Elke – So glad you tried the soup!
Hi Gloria – The Academy Awards and Pea and Pinot Grigio Soup — sounds like a perfect pairing!
Hi Margaret – Nice to hear from you!
Tracy McC says
I love your recipes (and your recipe-prose!) Smoked hocks rock! I shall try smoking lamb hocks this year; I don’t think it will hurt our shank production…
Sharon says
Do you think that Chardonnay would work ? I’ve been trying to find things to make with an open bottle.
Louise says
I used to add 1/2 to a cup of dry red wine, a teaspoon of dry mustard and a pinch of allspice towards the end of the soup cooking. Yum!
Patti says
Can I add a diced potato and substitute a ham bone for the hocks?
Robbi says
I made this yesterday and it is THE best split pea soup I have ever had, husband agreed! The only thing I did different, I could only find smoked and salt cured ham hocks so I didn’t add salt. (I wish I could post my pics). Next on the list is your Carrot-Ginger-Orange Soup, thank you!!
Beth says
I made this FAB soup yesterday and all I can say is it is the BEST pea soup we have ever made or eaten. We LOVE pea soup in this house and I make it every time I have a spiralized ham bone left over. I used your recipe and I will never make it the “old way” again. We like “chunky” so didn’t try to smooth out the peas. It was perfect in every way! Thank you Kevin, for another wonderful experience in the kitchen! (leftovers into the freezer for future dinners)
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Beth – So glad you enjoyed this soup!