Thermomix Pea and Ham Soup

A simple homely soup - made much easier by the fact the the Thermomix can blitz the split peas into a fine powder to speed up the cooking time. Then, once the soup has been cooked it can be blitzed again to make it very smooth and velvety.

Winter is a great time for a rustic, hearty soup and the Thermomix can help speed up the pleasure.

The basket is great to hold the pieces of hock so that it doesn't get mushed up with the blades.

The split peas can be soaked the night before and drained before blitzing, but may be made successfully with dried peas when the Thermomix can blitz them so finely.

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.