Summer Ham Pea Broth Recipes

PEA AND HAM SOUP (SLOW COOKER OR STOVE)

Steps:

• Place peas in slow cooker, push ham in. Scatter all ingredients around the ham bone, then pour over water.
• Slow cook 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 6 hours on HIGH. (Or 2.5 hours on low on stove, 1 h - 1 hr 20 min pressure cooker/Instant Pot on HIGH)
• Remove ham bone, shred ham meat. Discard bone and fatty skin.
• Remove bay leaves. Use a stick blender to blitz 2 or 3 times - thickens soup but doesn't make it completely smooth (my preference, you can blend completely if you want).
• Return ham into slow cooker, stir. Taste and add more salt if needed (soup gets lots of salt from ham).
• Serve garnished with parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dunking - make a quick Irish Soda Bread, Garlic Bread or upgrade to Cheesy Garlic Bread!

SUMMER HAM & PEA BROTH

Steps:

• Heat the grains in the microwave following pack instructions. Put the peas in a sieve and pour over boiling water.
• Put 50g of the peas, most of the mint leaves, the spring onion whites, vinegar, sugar and stock cube in a food processor, and blend to a smooth paste, adding a little water if you need to. Divide between 2 soup or pasta bowls.
• Divide the remaining peas, hot grains and ham between the bowls and pour over enough boiling water to almost fill the bowls. Stir and leave for 2 mins to heat through.
• Stir in the spring onion greens and remaining mint leaves, season well with pepper and top with some pea shoots.

HAM SHANK BROTH

Steps:

• Soak the ham shank in cold water overnight, then drain. The next day, pour hot water from the kettle over the ham to scald it. Discard the water.
• Put the ham in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then simmer the ham for 2-3 hrs until very tender.
• When the meat is almost cooked, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion over a medium heat for 6-8 mins, or until softened. Add the leeks, carrots, swede, celery, potatoes and dried herbs, if using. (If using fresh, don't add at this stage.) Pour in more cold water to just cover the veg. Season. Bring to the boil over a medium-high heat and cook for 15-20 mins until softened. Meanwhile, put the barley in another saucepan and cover with boiled water from the kettle. Boil for 8-10 mins over a medium heat until starting to soften. Drain. Set aside.
• When the ham is cooked, drain the liquid, saving one cupful. Trim the fat from the ham and slice the meat into large chunks. Add the meat to the pan of vegetables and pour in a little of the reserved stock, but not too much, as it will be salty. Top up with enough cold water to cover everything and bring to a simmer.
• Add the barley and lentils and cook for 20-25 mins until tender. Around 5 mins before the end of cooking, add the peas and the fresh herbs, if using. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with steamed cabbage and crusty white bread, if you like.