Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is a thick, smoky winter dish, filling enough to be a one-pot meal on its own.

1. Pick over the split peas and rinse them – no soaking needed.

2. Put the peas and the diced smoked ham into a large pot, then cover them well with water.

3. Add the halved onion, the bay leaf and the thyme.

4. Bring it to the boil, then over a low heat cook it for 60-70 minutes, until the peas fall apart.

5. In the last 20 minutes add the diced carrot and the celery stalk.

6. Take out the bay leaf, blend the soup partly with a stick blender, and season it with pepper.

Tip: The smoked ham provides the salt, so only salt it at the end – it is easily oversalted.