About 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
½ pound of ham, cubed
Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 medium onion
2 stalks of celery
1-2 carrots or large handful of baby carrots
1 heaping cup dry green split peas
1/3 heaping cup dry pearl barley
2-3 (14.5 ounce) cans of chicken or vegetable stock
Thyme, parsley, dill, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
2 Bay leaves
Instructions:
To soften dried green split peas: Soak dry split peas in bowl with water, 24-48 hours prior to making soup.
To prepare soup: Clean and dice garlic, onion, and celery. In a large pot on medium heat, sauté vegetables in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once tender, add ¾ of the ham pieces, carrots, split peas, barley and spices. Cover with lid and let simmer on low heat for about 30 to 40 minutes.
Blend soup mixture in a blender or food processor. Return blended mixture to pot and add reserved ham pieces. Cook on low temperature for another 15 minutes, then serve.
Cooking Tips:
- Honey Baked Ham leftovers are ideal for this soup. Save the leftovers and store in small bags and freeze. Then pull out a bag of ham when you want to make this soup.
- Dried beans will not soften if you have hard water or if the peas are old. Be sure to purchase dried peas from a store that has high turnover. If you have hard water, soak peas in distilled water.
David H. Rahm, M.D. is the founder and medical director of The Wellness Center, a medical clinic located in Long Beach, CA. Dr. Rahm is also president and medical director of VitaMedica. Dr. Rahm is one of a select group of conventional medical doctors who have education and expertise in functional medicine and nutritional science. Over the past 20 years, Dr. Rahm has published articles in the plastic surgery literature and educated physicians about the importance of good peri-operative nutrition.
