Make Curried Split Pea Soup with Ham or Bacon

Indian Spice Transports the Hearty Soup out of the Ordinary

© Larry Ervin

Dec 7, 2008

Portuguese spice merchants, as well as colonizers from Britain, France and the Dutch, all brought bits of Indian cuisine back to Europe. The English word "curry" comes from the Portuguese pronunciation of an Indian word.

Emigration from the subcontinent has done even more to spread the flavors. There are large towns in the U.K. that have majority Asian populations. The assertion has been made that India has more profoundly influenced British cuisine than the Brits ever did on Indian cuisine. (That probably has something to do with the Second Law of Thermodynamics!) The most sold dish in the U.K. is said to be chicken tikka masala.

The amount of curry powder you add will depend on your diner's personal taste and how fresh and assertive your curry powder is. The mixture of spices that are sold as curry powder vary widely in intensity. Freshness is a key here, too. Any spice, once ground, begins to go stale rapidly. If your curry powder is more than a year old, throw it out and buy some fresh. Better still you can make your own.

Curried Split Pea Soup with Ham or Bacon

You will need: a Dutch oven or a large, heavy pan with a 5-quart capacity

Ingredients:

• 1 ham bone -or- 1 to 2 ham hocks -or- ½ cup ham -or- 4 rashers bacon, diced
• 1-2 tsp curry powder
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced or smashed
• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 5 cups water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup celery, sliced
• 1 cup carrots, sliced
• 1 (16-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp cilantro or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Method:

1. In a the large pot over medium heat, add the bacon or ham, if using, and cook to your personal preference. (You may need to add a splash of cooking oil if not using bacon.)
2. Add the curry powder and onion and cook until the onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes, and add the garlic and cook another scant minute. Do not let the garlic brown or it will be bitter.
3. Add the split peas and water and ham bone or ham hocks, if using. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender, about 1 hour. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and more curry powder if necessary. (You make the recipe ahead to this point and then reheat when you're ready to finish.)
4. Add the celery, carrots and tomatoes. Return to a simmer and cook, covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
5. Serve in individual bowls, sprinkled with cilantro or parsley for garnish.

If cold weather has you hankering for the comfort of Soups and Stews, click here for more, including:

• Cowboy Chili with Steak
• African Chicken Peanut Soup
• Bavarian Pilsner-Onion Soup
• Cheddar and Ale Soup
• Beef Bourguignon

Indian Spices at Market

Making Roti Canai Bread

Yellow Split Pea Soup

Dried Yellow Split Peas

Sunday Ham

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