Denny Boyd’s Christmas Eve Pea Soup

Once again, thinking ahead to the holidays, I’m reprinting this all-time reader favorite. As one of the most popular recipes ever to appear on this blog, it’s superb!

Its background? Years ago, I briefly shared an office with Vancouver Sun columnist Denny Boyd. The late, great Denny begged for release, claiming that I yakked on the phone and talked to my plants much of the day. It didn’t matter that I had no plants, but Denny and I high-fived it when his mewling resulted in a private office for each of us. When Denny moved into his new digs, he left behind this wonderful recipe for pea soup, which I’ve made often. 

I change the ingredients each time I make Denny’s soup. The recipe is now such a departure from the original that I can almost call it my own. Regardless, as an homage to an old friend, I’ll always call this great soup recipe his.

Denny Boyd’s Christmas Eve Pea Soup:

3 c. (375 mL) dried yellow or green split peas 

8 c. (2 L) water 

2 smoked pork hocks or 1 large ham bone (see Note)

10 whole peppercorns, cracked

¼ c. (60 mL) coarsely chopped onion

2 (500 mL) chopped celery, including some leaves

1 c. (250 mL) diced ham, visible fat removed and/or meat from pork hock

1 c. (259 mL) peeled and diced garlic-flavored sausage such as Polish kielbasa (a 7-oz. or 200 g piece is just about right (see Yet Another Note) 

2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced 

1 c. (250 nL) whole milk

One 10 oz. (284 mL) can condensed beef bouillon soup

2 tsp. (10 mL) seasoning salt

Rinse split peas well. Soak 1 hr. in cold, fresh water. Bring to a boil in same water. Reduce heat, adding pork hocks or ham bone and peppercorns. Simmer 1 hr. Add onion and celery. Simmer 1 hr. further. Remove hocks or ham bone, dicing meat. Discard bone and set aside. 

Purée soup using hand or conventional blender or food processor. Add diced meat from bone, additional ham with fat removed, sausage, carrots, milk, and bouillon. Simmer 20 min. Season shortly before serving. Yields 8-to-10 generous servings.

Note: I normally substitute a ham bone (which is cheap) for pork hocks (which are expensive). In my opinion, the slight difference in the taste doesn’t justify the added expense of using smoked hocks. 

Yet Another Note: Although I did, there’s no need to remove the casing from this sausage! It’s edible. 

Measure out split peas.

Rinse well.

Cut bone from ham - or use smoked hocks.

Free at last!

Bring peas, water, pepper and hocks or bone to a boil.

After an hour's simmering, add onion and celery. 

Simmer a further hour and purée.

Remove meat from bone. Dice additional ham. Add to soup.

Peel casing from sausage. Dice sausage; add to soup.

Season and serve: Good tidings of comfort and joy!