Description
Jamie Oliver’s slow cooker ham and pea soup delivers comforting British countryside flavors in one hearty bowl. Home cooks can savor rich, smoky ham blended with sweet green peas, creating a soul-warming meal perfect for chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Proteins:
- 3 Ham Hocks (about 2.3 kilograms / 5.1 pounds total)
- 1 Liter (4.2 cups) Organic Chicken Stock
Vegetables and Grains:
- 400 grams (14.1 ounces) Frozen Peas
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) Pearl Barley
- 2 Leeks
- 1 Celery Stick
- 3 Carrots
Herbs and Seasonings:
- 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
- ½ Bunch Fresh Curly Parsley
- 1 Heaped Tablespoon Mint Sauce
- Olive Oil
Instructions
- Submerge ham hocks in a generously sized pot filled with frigid water and allow them to marinate overnight, effectively extracting surplus salt.
- Thoroughly drain and cleanse the ham hocks, then replenish the pot with pristine cold water and initiate a rolling boil. Perform a secondary draining and rinsing to eliminate residual saltiness.
- Meticulously dice the leeks, celery, and carrots into uniform, delicate segments.
- Drizzle olive oil (30 milliliters or 2 tablespoons) into a substantial casserole pan, introducing the sliced vegetables and aromatic bay leaves.
- Sauté the vegetable medley over moderate heat for approximately 15 minutes, periodically stirring to ensure even softening without caramelization.
- Incorporate the sanitized ham hocks, pearl barley, and chicken stock into the pan alongside the softened vegetables.
- Elevate the mixture to a vigorous boil, then reduce temperature to a gentle simmer. Cover the pan and allow the concoction to meld for 3 hours, intermittently monitoring liquid levels and supplementing with additional stock or water if necessary.
- Upon achieving tender ham hocks, extract them from the pan and methodically deconstruct the meat, eliminating excess fat and skeletal remnants. Reintegrate the shredded protein into the simmering mixture.
- Amplify the heat and introduce frozen peas, cooking until they reach optimal tenderness.
- Finely chop curly parsley and blend with a generous tablespoon of mint sauce. Garnish the dish and serve piping hot, accompanied by rustic bread slices and robust English mustard.
Notes
- Overnight soaking softens ham hocks and reduces intense saltiness for a perfectly balanced soup.
- Rinsing ham hocks twice prevents overwhelming salt levels and ensures a clean, refined broth base.
- Gentle sautéing of vegetables creates a robust flavor foundation without scorching delicate ingredients.
- Slow cooking transforms tough ham hocks into melt-in-your-mouth tender meat that enriches the entire soup.
- Barley introduces substantial texture, turning the soup into a complete and satisfying meal.
- Extended simmering develops layered flavors, creating a deeply comforting winter dish.
- Strategic meat shredding distributes succulent ham pieces evenly throughout each spoonful.
- Fresh herb garnish with parsley and mint sauce brightens the rich, hearty soup profile.
- Crusty bread and tangy English mustard perfectly complement the soup’s warming characteristics.
- Batch cooking allows convenient freezing, providing multiple delicious meals with minimal effort.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 325 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg