Description
Tender smoked pork hock, creamy split peas and hearty green lentils turn into a deeply savoury soup with plenty of texture. It takes a little time, but most of that is hands off, and the leftovers are even better the next day.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 3 cups dried split peas
- 1 cup dried green lentils
- 4.85 pd - 2.2 kg smoked pork hock, bone in and skin on, about 2 medium hocks
- 21 cups - 4 to 5 L water, or enough to cover the pork hocks by about 2.5 to 5 cm
- 1 tsp dried thyme, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper, plus more to taste
- Salt, to taste
- Extra water as needed
For serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Pulled pieces of pork from the hocks
Instructions
- Place 3 cups dried split peas in a large container and cover well with boiling water. In a separate container, do the same with 1 cup dried green lentils. Leave both for 1½ to 3 hours, or overnight in the fridge. Add more water if they absorb it and become exposed.
- Place 2.2 kg smoked pork hock in a very large pot.
- Add 4 to 5 L water, or enough to cover the hocks by about 2.5 to 5 cm.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3 to 4 hours, until the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone.
- You don’t need to add salt or spices to the pork cooking water at this stage. The smoked hocks will already bring plenty of flavour and salt to the broth.
- Remove the pork hocks from the pot and set them aside to cool. Keep the cooking liquid. If there’s a thick layer of fat on top, skim off some of it, but don’t worry about removing every last bit.
- Drain the soaked 3 cups dried split peas and 1 cup dried green lentils.
- Bring the pork cooking liquid back to a gentle simmer. If the broth tastes extremely salty, add some water before continuing. You can always adjust the seasoning later, but you can’t take the salt back out.
- Add about ½ to ¾ of the 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery ribs as well as the 2 diced medium onions to the pork broth.
- Add about ½ to ¾ of the soaked 3 cups dried split peas and 1 cup dried green lentils. Stir well and simmer until the vegetables, peas and lentils are very soft, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- For a thicker, smoother soup, use a hand blender to partially puree the soup right in the pot.
- Don’t blend it completely if you like some texture. I actually prefer leaving a few chunky bits behind.
- While the soup cooks, pull the tender meat from the 2.2 kg smoked pork hock. Discard the bones, excess skin and any very fatty pieces you don’t want.
- Cut or pull the pork into decent bite-sized pieces.
- Add the pork back to the pot along with 1 tsp dried thyme and 1 tsp freshly crushed black pepper. Stir and simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add the remaining carrots, celery ribs, onions, dried split peas and dried green lentils.
- Continue simmering for another 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the remaining vegetables, peas and lentils are tender but still have some bite. This last addition is what keeps the soup from turning into one completely smooth, mushy pot.
- Check the consistency. If the soup has become too thick, stir in a little extra water until it’s where you want it.
- Taste before adding salt. The smoked pork hock can vary quite a bit in saltiness, so add salt only as needed. Add more dried thyme or freshly crushed black pepper if you think it needs it.
- Remove from the heat and let the soup sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with pulled pork, chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Notes
Prepared, tried and tested by: Esme Slabs: SA Tasty Recipes – Saffas Daily Recipes and EsmeSalon Homemade Recipes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 668
- Sugar: 6.8 g
- Sodium: 2375.1 mg
- Fat: 24.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 7.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.6 g
- Fiber: 18.1 g
- Protein: 61.3 g
- Cholesterol: 195.8 mg
