Pea And Ham Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 smoked pork hock, large
2 1/2 cups split peas
100 ml olive oil
3 large brown onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1/2 bunch celery, sliced
salt and pepper
150 g pearl barley
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 bay leaves
4 fresh thyme sprigs

Preparation

Put hock in large pot, cover with water.
Bring to the boil to just blanch meat, drain and set aside.
Put peas in a sieve, wash thoroughly.
Heat oil in pot, add onion, garlic, carrot and celery.
Cook vegies for 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
Add pork, split peas, barley, tomato and herbs.
Add 2 1/2 liters of cold water, bring to the boil.
Simmer about 2 1/2 hours until soup is thickened, stir occasionally.
Remove hock from soup, shred meat from bone.
Add it to the soup, reheat and serve.