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This easy Pea and Ham Soup is made with a whole gammon joint, frozen peas and mint for a really delicious homemade bowl of comforting goodness.
Making a batch of homemade soup is always a good idea, and – OH MY – the flavours in this divine Pea and Ham Soup are unbelievable!
For this we’re cooking up a small gammon joint in the slow cooker or on the hob so we have real chunky, delicious ham and real, tasty stock (you can use precooked if you prefer though).
While this takes a bit of time initially, it really is worth it and it’s such a simple and easy recipe to follow.
Cook a batch up for the freezer or for lunches during the week.
Why you’ll love this Pea and Ham Soup recipe
⭐️ Full of flavour and veggie goodness
⭐️ Perfect for batch cooking or prepping ahead
⭐️ Meaty, chunky and satisfying for a soup
Superhero Soup
In our house, this has always been known as Green Superhero Soup. It always seemed to convince my children into eating it when they were young!
I use petit pois peas or frozen peas instead of the traditionally used split peas as, honestly? I feel that we all needed some fresh tasting green veggies!
Also, look at the colour, how gorgeous is that? It makes me want to drive right in.
Pea and Ham Soup Ingredients Notes
- Gammon joint – I like to use smoked gammon for a deep flavour. You can use unsmoked if you prefer though
- Peas – I use a whole bag of frozen petit pois
- Fresh mint – Use the leaves only
- Rest of ingredients – Onions, garlic, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Pea and Ham Soup
There are two methods you can choose from for this recipe: either in the slow cooker OR on the hob (see the full recipe below for detailed methods.)
On the hob
1. Cook the gammon joint on the hob in a large saucepan, as per the full recipe below. Once it’s cooked and has been removed from the saucepan, heat the oil and soften the chopped onion and garlic until translucent.
2. Add 750ml of the ham cooking liquid (keep the rest in case you need it), the frozen peas, the mint and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook. Blend the peas and stock mixture. Add a little more of the reserved stock if it is too thick. Shred the cooked ham and add to the soup (reserving some to garnish).
IN THE SLOW COOKER
1. Cook the gammon joint in the slow cooker, as per the full recipe below. Once the ham has been removed from the pan, fry your onion and garlic in the slow cooker pan (if yours has this function) or in a pan on the hob.
2. Add 750ml of the ham cooking liquid (keep the rest in case you need it), the frozen peas, the mint and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes. Blend the peas and stock mixture. Add a little more of the reserved stock if it is too thick. Shred the cooked ham and add to the soup (reserving some to garnish).
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or on the hob before serving.
In the freezer This is great to freeze into portions and would be the perfect standby lunch to grab at the last minute.
Recipe Tip
If you don’t have time to slow cook a whole joint of gammon, you can replace it with precooked ham and gammon stock.
More delicious soup recipes…
FAQs
If you’re in the UK, most gammon joints, even smoked ones, are now quite mild. I never soak mine.
If you are very concerned about the meat being too salty, you can soak the gammon joint in plenty of water for about an hour or two before cooking and discard the water.
If you’re in the USA, uncooked ham joints tend to be much stronger in flavour so follow the instructions on that joint about whether you should soak it first.
This soup uses no added sugar, is gluten free, and has very little added fat. It also contains at least one portion of vegetables per serving and is high in dietary fibre.
The Morphy Richards Sear & Stew Slow Cooker is my all-time favourite because you can use it for initial browning on the hob and it’s really light.
I wrote up a whole slow cooker review though, where you might find another one to suit your needs. Have a read here.
Try out these recipes: Campfire Stew, Chicken and Ham Pie, Loaded Potato Skins, Chicken and Bacon Pasta, or go the whole hog (sorry) and try my Slow Cooker Gammon with honey, mustard and brown sugar glaze.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Pea and Ham Soup {Easy & Delicious}
Ingredients
- 500 g Smoked gammon joint
- 2 Onions, Peeled
- 2 Garlic cloves, Peeled and chopped
- 1 kg Frozen peas
- 15 g Fresh mint, Leaves only, chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
To cook on the hob:
- Put the ham joint into a large saucepan, add 1 of the onions (cut in half) and add 1 litre of water and put the lid on. Cook for about 1 hour or until the meat is soft and tender and falling apart.
- Remove the meat from the saucepan, reserving the liquid and discarding the onion.
- Chop the remaining onion. In the saucepan, heat the oil and soften the chopped onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add 750ml of the ham cooking liquid (keep the rest in case you need it), the frozen peas, the mint and plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the peas are cooked through.
- Blend the peas and stock mixture. Add a little more of the reserved stock if it is too thick.
- Shred the cooked ham and add to the soup (reserving some to garnish).
To cook in the slow cooker:
- Put the joint into the slow cooker, add 1 of the onions (cut in half) and add 1 litre of water. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours, or until the meat is soft and tender and falling apart.
- Remove the meat from the slow cooker pan, reserving the liquid and discarding the onion.
- Chop the remaining onion. In the pan of your slow cooker (if you have a hob safe one. If not, in a frying pan), heat the oil and soften the chopped onion and garlic until translucent.
- Add 750ml of the ham cooking liquid (keep the rest in case you need it), the frozen peas, the mint and plenty of salt and pepper. Cook on HIGH for 30 minutes.
- Blend the peas and stock mixture. Add a little more of the reserved stock if it is too thick.
- Shred the cooked ham and add to the soup (reserving some to garnish).
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Good advice about slow cooking
you have not added the liquid to the ingredients, so no matter how many people you adjust the recipe for, it leaves the instruction as add 750ml. Is that actually corretc, less than 100ml per person?
All recipes are delicious and easy to make
Excellent. Made this for our winter warmers session at the social club (soup, bread, cheese, fruit, cake for those on their own own). So good was asked to make it again.
I roasted a medium gammon joint instead of slow cooking. Worked well.
Excellent recipe, I always use the slow cooker method.