Old Fashioned Pea Soup

Some recipes earn the right to call themselves old fashioned, and this pea soup is one of them. Five ingredients. One pot. Four hours of slow simmering. That’s it.

The real trick is using both whole green peas and split peas together. The split peas dissolve into the broth and create that thick, creamy base, while the whole peas (soaked overnight) hold their shape and give you something to bite into. It’s a texture combination you don’t get from split peas alone.

A whole smoked ham shank does all the heavy seasoning work. As it simmers, the smoke and salt leach into the broth, the meat falls off the bone, and the collagen from the joint gives the soup a silky body that no amount of pureeing can replicate. You remove the shank before serving, but its flavor is in every spoonful.

Chef Tips

• Soak the whole peas overnight or they’ll still be hard after 4 hours of cooking. The split peas don’t need soaking
• Keep the boil slow and steady. A hard boil breaks the whole peas apart too fast and you lose that textural contrast
• The soup thickens dramatically as it cools. When reheating, add water or broth to thin it back out
• Shred the meat from the ham shank and stir it back into the soup if you want a heartier bowl

Variations

• Add diced carrots and celery with the onion for a more veggie-loaded version
• Stir in a splash of vinegar or lemon juice before serving to brighten the smoky richness
• Use a smoked turkey leg instead of ham shank for a lighter but still smoky flavor