Split-Pea Soup

[zupanj]

I made a batch of split-pea soup tonight and it was a bit disappointing. The soup was only OK but very bland. I used a standard recipe; onions, carrots, and chicken stock. I added three smoked ham hocks to try to add flavor but that wasn't the case. So I have a couple of issues and/or questions. I cooked the mixture for an hour and the hocks were not softened at all and the fat didn't render. It seems they have to cook for quite a long time. When I was a kid, my family would do beans and hocks and they were delicious. I would snarf up the skin along with the beans. I have never been able to duplicate this. Does anyone on this forum have experience with cooking smoked hocks?
The other issue is the soup was bland. Any ideas on how to add some flavor to this dish. It may be just a faulty memory but I used to love this stuff.

[Donw]

Personally 1 hour is way too short. If I’m doing them in something like soup on the stove I start the hocks way before I even think about adding anything else. Those soups can take up to 8 hours to complete.. To speed things up I now do the hocks in a pressure cooker for just under an hour, and then shred and toss into the dish with some of the hock broth.

[Panhead John]

Ham hocks are pretty tough and need to be cooked a minimum of 2 hours, at least. When I do beans and use ham hocks, I usually do the 2 minute boil, then 1 hour off heat method, before I start cooking….rather than the overnight soak. So when I do that, I put my ham hocks in the beans at the start of the 2 minute boil, which means they’ve been cooked for at least 3 hours. I’ve never messed with eating the outer layer of fat, only the gold attached to the bone, and it’s always tender. As far as being bland, did you add any spices/seasonings to them?

[TripleB]

As mentioned above, one hour is not enough. I make split-pea soup at least once/yr. And with split-pea soup, as with all stews, soups and gumbos, it is always better the next day. So for me, I simmer covered for about 8 - 10 hours. Take it off the heat, let it cool a bit and then put it in the fridge overnight. Finish the soup the next day. I also take out the ham hocks and discard. They've been simmered for all their flavor. I usually put in some cubed ham for the meat. Has better flavor. Bland usually means salt to me, so that is an easy fix.

[Panhead John]

You don’t eat the meat between the outer fat layer and the bone? I remove it and add it to the beans. 😋

[texastweeter]

Agreed, 2-3 hours minimum covered and simmered with the hocks and stock. You can fortify the stock with bullion and or gelatin than has been bloomed in hot water. Soups, like beans should have the seasoning added towards the end of the cooking process (except salt) so as not to cook off the volatile chemicals. You can speed the process along with a pressure cooker.

[DavidNorcross]

Did you soak the peas? Just curious. Would sautee the onions first before adding the beans the stock. Like others have said, I would go hard the first hour and then low for at least 2 more hours. Would not add int he carrots until the last hour to get the flavor. What other seasonings did you add?

[Panhead John]

+1 on suateeing the onions first. I used to just drop em into my soup or beans raw. Quit doing that after I discovered the additional flavor that comes from the sautéed onions.

[Jfrosty27]

We have a Honey Baked Ham Store not too far from us. They sell a kit which includes a ham bone that has a ton of meat still on it and a bag of the split peas and spices. Super easy to make and never need to add anything additional to make it delish. I think they sell it online if you don’t have a store nearby.

[zupanj]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I knew the hocks had to cook a lot longer once I pulled them out. I didn't soak the peas before cooking. I did saute' the onions, the carrots and the garlic. I only used salt and pepper for seasoning. Why hold the carrots until last? I've never heard that technique before.

I did follow a recipe, minus the ham hocks, and it called for cooking the beans for one hour. Bring to a boil and simmer for one hour. In retrospect that seems way too short for split peas. It had been a long time since I made this and I forgot a lot of the basics involved.