Split-Pea Soup with Celery Leaves

Mmm...my favorite recipe to make the days following Easter is a nice split pea soup. I hope that everyone saved their ham drippings! It's a cold evening on the east coast and I can't wait to have a hot steamy bowl! Gather all your ingredients, so you can join me...

 

• a ham bone, with about 3 cups of ham chopped or shredded
• pan drippings from ham
• 1 pound dried split peas
• 2 celery stalks and a few smaller inner stalks with leaves diced, save some celery leaves for garnish
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 or more cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 12 cups water
• half a leek, the lighter part, diced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 tablespoons flour  

Bring the ham bone, split-peas, bay leaf and water to a boil, then simmer on low heat for half an hour. Skim off the foam as it cooks. Carefully remove the ham bone and let it cool. Add the chopped vegetables and ham and bring to a boil then simmer on low for an hour. Make the roux, which is super easy, it just sounds complicated. On low heat, melt the butter, you don't want the butter browning, then add the flour. Stir until there are no lumps and it browns lightly. Add the roux to your soup, bring to a boil, then drop the heat to low. At this point you can season your soup with the reserved pan drippings, adding a little at a time. You can add any meat that you can get off your ham bone and remove the bay leaf. Really take this last half an hour of cooking time to adjust the seasonings. In my opinion, the best pan drippings come from spiral cut hams with sweet glazes. I used, I almost hate to admit it, 8 tablespoons of pan drippings. It's worth all of the calorie overload! I only make this once a year, really. In my dreams more, lol. Then top with (my latest food obsession) celery leaves and enjoy!