Southern Basil Pea Soup

Is there any vegetable that doesn’t taste better when simmered with a little ham hock? Just look at how it transforms limas and peas in this rich, warm soup.

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

  • 6 cups chicken broth 
  • 5 ham hocks with bones, or pork neck bones (make sure they have a lot of meat on the bones)
  • 1½ stalks celery
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 carrot, peeled, small dice
  • ¼ red onion, small dice
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 6 cups green peas
  • 2 cups lima beans
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder 
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil 
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large pot combine your chicken broth, ham hocks or neck bones, celery and bay leaves.  Boil for 1 hour and 30 minutes, cooking uncovered to allow the broth to reduce.
  2. While ham hocks or bones boil, place carrots and red onion separately on a pan lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. Set carrots aside for garnish. Set onions aside for soup mixture. 
  3. Once the broth is done, remove ham hocks or neck bones and bay leaves. When cool enough to handle, pick meat from the bones, setting the meat aside.
  4. Add peas, lima beans, garlic powder, basil and thyme to the broth. Bring to a boil for 4–5 minutes. Add roasted onions. Simmer for two more minutes. Pour contents of the pot into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, thin out with additional broth or water, then season with salt and pepper.
  5. To serve, pour soup into a bowl and add shredded ham hock, topping with roasted carrots for garnish.

Recipe courtesy of Rob Varner of Sheepshead Eats.