Pea and Ham Hock Soup

Name: Pea and Ham Hock Soup
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 1 smoked ham hock, about 800 g; 250g yellow split peas; 1 onion, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery sticks, diced; 2 bay leaves; 1.6l water; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

A thick, old fashioned soup of yellow split peas and tender smoked ham hock that fills the house with a great smell.

Time2 hr
LevelEasy
Costabout £0.72 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

6 bowls

Ingredients

Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.

1smoked ham hockabout 800 g
250 gyellow split peas
1onionchopped
2carrotsdiced
2celery sticksdiced
2bay leaves
1.6 lwater
1 tspblack pepper
2 tbspchopped fresh parsley

Method

1
Soak the ham hock in cold water for 1 hour if the packet says it is very salty. Drain it.
60 min
2
Put the hock, split peas, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil and skim off any foam.
3
Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peas have broken down and the meat is falling off the bone.
90 min
4
Lift out the hock and pull the meat off in shreds, throwing away the skin, fat and bone.
5
Remove the bay leaves. Blend a third of the soup with a stick blender for a thick, part smooth texture.
6
Stir the ham back in with the black pepper. Taste before adding anything else, as the ham is already salty. Scatter with parsley.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.