Recipe for Split Pea Soup with Ham, Bay Leaves, Epazote and Red Bell Pepper (or Carrots)

(Updated and added to Recipe Favorites, January 2010) Utah is actually having a relatively mild winter, but for some reason all I feel like cooking lately is soup. Today I woke up with good intentions of cooking some fish, but once I saw the Vegan Split Pea Soup at The Perfect Pantry, I couldn't stop thinking about split pea soup. I knew this recipe was back in the archives needing a photo, but originally I had used carrots in it, and since I'm focusing on South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes for January, carrots were out. When I hit on the idea of replacing the carrots with red bell peppers, this turned into an updated recipe favorite with a new Phase One twist. Of course, if you're not doing phase one or prefer a more traditional split pea soup, go ahead and use the carrots.

I'm guessing some of you have never heard of Epazote, a unique Mexican herb I add to my split pea and bean soups. Epazote (pronounced ep-ah-so-teh) adds an interesting subtle flavor to bean dishes (especially refried beans), but it's also used to reduce the intestinal gas that can be produced by beans. It grows wild in the U.S. and Mexico and has a slightly sweet flavor. (Some Epazote comes with a lot of woody stems, so when I first get a new batch, I put it into my food processor with the steel blade and process it to a fine powder.) If you don't have Epazote, you can get it at The Spice House or Penzeys, but you can certainly make this without it too.

Saute chopped onions in olive oil for a few minutes, just until they are starting to soften. (I was making half the recipe to test the addition of red bell peppers, so all these photos show half as much as the recipe makes.)

Then add the split peas, chicken or ham stock, bay leaves, and Epazote. If you have ham rinds, add them as well. (If you don't have rinds, you might want to add some ham flavor base, especially if you're not using ham stock.) Let this simmer for about an hour, or until the peas are quite soft. You may need to add water a few times while it's cooking.

When all the peas are softened and many are dissolved into the liquid, it will look like this. Remove the bay leaves and ham rinds (if using.) You can blend it with an immersion blender at this point if you want, but I didn't.

Then add the chopped ham and red bell peppers (or carrots) and let the soup simmer another 30-40 minutes, adding water if needed.

Here's how mine looked after it had simmered 40 minutes more (not especially photogenic, but very flavorful.)

Of course, since I'm always trying to make everything just a little better, I decided to use my immersion blender and give this just a few buzzes to slightly break up the red peppers and ham. If you decide to do that, don't overdo it! Taste for seasoning and if you're like me, season with lots of fresh ground black pepper.

Split Pea Soup with Ham, Bay Leaves, Epazote, and Red Bell Pepper (or Carrots)
(Makes about 6-8 servings, but this freezes very well so you may want to double the recipe)

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
1 T olive oil
6 cups chicken stock, ham stock, or water with chicken soup base
1 lb. green split peas (just over 2 cups)
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried bay leaf
1/2 - 1 tsp. dried Epazote (optional)
1-2 diced red bell peppers (or 1-2 cups diced carrots)
2 cups or more diced ham (save the rind, use ham with less than 10% fat for South Beach Diet)
optional: Ham flavor base (I use Goya, Better than Bouillon, or Penzey's brand)
salt/pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat oil in large heavy soup pot, then add diced onion and saute about 3-4 minutes, just until onion is starting to soften. Add chicken stock, ham stock, or water with chicken base, bay leaves, split peas, and Epazote if using. (If ham rind is available, put it in with these ingredients. If not, you may wish to add 1-2 T ham flavor base.)

Cook at a low simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour or until most peas are losing their shape and combining with the liquid. (The length of cooking time will depend partly on the freshness of the dried split peas.) You may need to add water once or twice while this cooks.

Remove ham rind and bay leaves. Add red bell pepper (or carrots) and ham and cook 30-40 minutes more, (until red bell pepper or carrots are soft and flavors are well blended.) Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. (I didn't add salt, but I added a lot of pepper.) Serve hot.

If you're not a South Beach dieter, diced potatoes are good in this too. They should be added with the ham and red bell pepper or after the carrots have cooked about 10 minutes, if using carrots.

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South Beach Suggestions:

A low-glycemic soup recipe like this would be approved for any phase of the South Beach Diet, but for Phase One I would eat a small bowl of this with a big green salad or some type of vegetable on the side.

More Phase One Soups to Try:
Chicken and Pinto Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro
Chickpea (garbanzo bean) Soup with Spinach, Tomatoes, and Basil
Lentil Soup with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Peppers
Goulash Soup with Red Pepper and Cabbage
Spicy Pinto Bean Soup with Ham, Tomatoes, and Cilantro
You can find more soup recipes in Phase One Recipes for Soup, Stew, or Chili.