One of our last camping runs into Yellowstone prior to the birth of our first child involved a sojourn with a couple we called L & P (rafting and whitewater maniacs, above average fly fishers, damned talented camp cooks) and a few nights at the Madison Junction campground working the September runners moving up the Madison out of Hebgen.
The weather was perfect and it was just cold enough at night to make you feel in your bones that the deep chill of late fall and early winter wasn’t far away, yet remained tolerable enough for my pregnant wife to manage like a champ.
Though they’d done most of the cook at home, L fired up his camp stove on our last night and finished crafting what might have been one of the best three soups we’ve ever eaten (in the top five for sure), what we’ve ended up calling Madison River Split Pea Soup ever since.
Hearty and rich, steaming hot in bowls that warmed hands as well as insides, we’d fried thick cut bacon to crumble on as a garnish along with a big dollop of sour cream. He even brought along a surprisingly good sherry to dribble in too.
L (of the L&P pair) claimed the secret to making this soup great again is to cook it with a ham hock (as is tradition), but to also throw in a handful or two of chopped corned beef as well.
You may not be sitting on the banks of the Madison this weekend, but this is a great soup to combat the cold locking up much of the country these days.
2 generous cups diced onion
1/4 cup butter
2 generous cups chopped celery, be sure include some leaves
2 generous cups chopped carrots
4 cups split peas, picked and rinsed
1 big ham hock
1 gallon chicken broth (make your own)
1 cup frozen peas
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 and 1/2 tsp marjoram
1 and 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Salt to tasteGarnish: Crispy bacon crumbles, finely chopped ham, sour cream, sherry
Optional** – consider swapping out the ham for corned beef or use both
Grab your big stock pot, melt the butter and sauté the onion until it starts to soften. Add the celery and carrots and cook for a few more minutes.
Dump the rest of the ingredients in (not the garnishes), bring to a boil, then turn it down and simmer for 2 hours (give or take) until the peas are soft, adding more stock or water as needed.
Pull the ham hocks, carefully (they’re hot) remove that tasty meat from the bone, chop, and return to the soup. Now’s when you’d add the corned beef if you’re using it.
Consider pureeing the soup smoother with an immersion blender, though we usually don’t as the texture is a bit more interesting with some chunky vegetables around.
Stir the cup of frozen peas (a nice flavor boost and texture) in just before serving hot with a splash of sherry and some crispy bacon crumbles. Hot damn.
Enjoy.
