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Split Pea Soup: The Perfect End to Leftover Pork
I've written before about how and why to eat less meat, but rather than going veggie, I continue in my flexitarian ways. So when I heard from a friend that he was raising his own hogs for slaughter, fattening them up on hand picked acorns and dumpster-dived tortillas, I couldn't help but place an order for a fresh bone-in ham.
Watch Emeril teach a vegetarian how to cook flesh-free meals for her meat-loving husband Having made a gigantic roast on Sunday, and a spicy pork burrito on Monday, we were looking for a plan for the remains—which by now were mainly scraps of meat and one gigantic bone. Split pea soup immediately came to mind.
This would be a great recipe for anyone serving ham on the bone for Christmas. There's something thoroughly healing about a rich, vegetable-based soup with just a hint of porky fattiness.
(For a leaner, vegetarian version you could omit the ham and chicken stock, and stick with vegetable broth instead.)
INGREDIENTS
| One onion, finely chopped | |
| One celery stick, finely chopped | |
| Two carrots, finely chopped | |
| Two garlic cloves, finely chopped | |
| Bacon fat or olive oil | |
| Split peas - about three or four cups | |
| Chicken or vegetable broth - one to two quarts | |
| Bone and leftover meat scraps from roast pork (optional) | |
| Heavy cream, half a cup |
PREPARATION:
- Saute onions, celery and carrots in the bacon fat or olive oil until softened, about five minutes. Add garlic cloves, and split peas, and saute for a few minutes more—stirring to ensure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the chicken or vegetable broth, and the meat scraps and ham bone (if using) to the pot. If it looks like you are short on broth, add water. Simmer over a low heat for two to three hours, season, and remove from the heat. Pick out the ham bone. Stir in the cream, and bring back to the boil.
- I like to serve this with lots of roughly cut whole-wheat croutons fried in olive oil, and tossed with garlic, sea salt and chopped parsley.
Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.
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