Thermomix Pea and Ham Soup

Pea and Ham Soup is one of my favourites for winter, sorry, the photos have been hibernating. Those in the northern hemisphere can try this out.

If you can get your butcher to cut the ham hock into slices about 2cm thick, then that would be best. Otherwise just do your best to break the hock into pieces that will fit into the Thermomix basket. The recipe in the Everyday Cooking for Everybody has a pea and ham recipe, but does not use the hock bone to give it that delicious smokey flavour. Please try out the idea of the hock in the basket - hopefully you will be inspired to try similar dishes.

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

150g split peas (green or yellow)
1 onion, cut into quarters
1 clove garlic
30g oil
1 carrot, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, cut into 2cm lengths
1200ml water
1 smoked ham hock, cut into pieces that will fit into the TMX basket
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Parsley and olive oil to garnish

Method:

Place split peas into TM bowl and mill for 1 minute on speed 9. Set aside.

Place garlic and onions into TM bowl and chop for 5 seconds on speed 7. Add oil and sauté for 5 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.

Add carrots and celery, chop for 5 seconds on speed 6. Add water to the bowl.

Place pieces of ham hock and bay leaves in basket and position basket in TM bowl.

Cook for 40 minutes at 90°C on speed soft with the MC out of lid.

Remove basket, discard bay leaves and allow meat to cool.

Add milled peas to the TM bowl and cook 15 minutes at 100°C on speed 1.

Meanwhile, remove meat from the hocks and roughly chop. Put the meat in a bowl and place the bowl into the Varoma. You can place the bones and skin back into the basket and into the TM bowl while the soup is still cooking to impart extra flavour. Position the Varoma on the TMX lid to keep the meat warm.

Test the soup to see if the peas are cooked sufficiently and adjust seasonings. Remove the basket, if you returned it to the TM bowl, and slowly turn the dial up to speed 9 and blend for about 40 seconds.

Serve the soup into bowls or tureen, add the pieces of ham and garnish with chopped parsley and drizzle with olive oil.