French-Canadian Pea Soup
This traditional Quebecois soup turns dried yellow peas, smoked ham hock, aromatics and broth into a simple, comforting meal.
Servings 4 as a meal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3-4 carrots, chopped (1-1/2 cups)
- 2-1/2 cups chopped white onion
- 2 cups dried yellow split peas (see Kitchen Notes)
- 2 to 2-1/2 quarts chicken stock, or a mix of stock and water
- a meaty smoked ham hock, or 3/4 cup ham chopped into cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon dried savory
- salt, if needed
Instructions
- First, in a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and mix in the oil. Add the carrots and sauté for a minute or two. Then add the onions, stir, and sauté everything for 3 or 4 minutes, until the onions are translucent and limp.
- Pour in the peas, stir, then add the broth and water, the hock (or the chopped ham), bay and savory. Give it all another stir, bring to the boiling point, then simmer gently. Stir every now and then to avoid sticking. This will take two or three hours. You may need to add more liquid if the soup gets too thick before it’s done.
- Once the peas are cooked, remove the ham hock, strip off the meat, chop it and return it to the pot. Taste and season with salt, if needed. You likely won't need it—the ham hock will add plenty of its own.
Kitchen Notes
Peas, split or otherwise. This is ideal with dried whole yellow peas, but if you cannot find those, then use yellow split peas. A side benefit is that you won't need to pre-soak them and the cooking time is shorter.
Upping your soup-for-dinner game. As we said, the soup alone is a hearty meal. But a sandwich alongside takes it to a whole new level. My sister loves this soup with a salami sandwich, but I say: grilled cheese.
Grow your own. Darlaine pea seed is a bush variety that is available from Salt Spring Seeds, in British Columbia, and Resilient Seeds, in Washington state.