Ingredients
- 5 qts water
- 2 ham hocks
- 1/4 cup split peas
- 3/4 cup barley
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 2-3 potatoes, cubed
Instructions
Cook ham hocks in water for 2 hours (note: may be too long for smallish ham hocks, maybe try less) Add barley, split peas, celery and onion, simmer 2.5 - 3 hours. Remove ham from hocks, trim off fat. Return meat to pot. Add cubed potatoes and simmer an additional hour or two. Salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Should be a very thick soup. I also usually make three times the recipe as it freezes quite well (although sometimes I need to add a little water when I heat it up)
This recipe dates back at least to Nick’s great-grandmother (Lanny Stell) who was born in Austria in 1908. She came to America when she was 12.