
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.