Habitant soup came to New England via French Canadiens who filtered down from Québec. You may know it as split-pea soup. It’s an economical, stick-to-the-ribs soup, often served in lumber camps. Some claim that authentic habitant soup is made with a lump of salt pork, yellow split peas, a trinity of chopped vegetables plus garlic, water and a bay leaf. Mine employs leftover ham bone and yellow or green split peas, along with the other basic ingredients. I sauté the vegetables, but many cooks simply dump everything into a pot à la fois (at once) to simmer. Yellow split peas have become harder to find in the markets, so you might have to sacrifice visual appeal and use the green split peas instead. Thanks to my friend Sue, who claims French-Canadian ancestry, for tracking down yellow split peas for this recipe. In my opinion, the flavor of this soup rests on the quality of the ham. For a rounder flavor, use chicken stock in place of the water. The flavor of this soup improves if it sits overnight in the refrigerator, but it also thickens as it sits, so be prepared to add more water as you reheat it.
Habitant soup
1 lb. yellow split peas (green may be substituted)
1 large onion, chopped
1 large rib of celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bay leaf
8 cups or so of water
ham bone or ½ pound salt pork
salt to taste
Pick over the peas. Rinse. Leave them to soak as you chop and sauté the vegetables. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots for about 10 minutes; then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Drain and add the peas, water, ham bone and bay leaf. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; then reduce to a simmer and cook for about two hours. Skim mid-way through cooking or as necessary. Remove ham and bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Any meat clinging to the ham bone can be added to the soup at this point. Discard salt pork, if used. Soup will thicken as it sits. Serves six to eight.
