Newfoundland Pea Soup with Dough Boys
Ingredients
For the Pea Soup:
- 1 ham bone
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 large carrot, coarsely grated
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 12 cups water
- 2 cups dried yellow split peas
- 3 – 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 tsp. coarsely ground white or black pepper, your preference
- 1 ½ cups yellow onion, diced
- 3 cups carrots, diced
- 3 cups baked smoked ham, diced
For the Dough Boys:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 cup warm milk
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Instructions
To prepare the pea soup:
- Simmer the ham bone, garlic, carrot, small onion and water slowly in a large covered pot for 1½ hours.
- Then, strain the stock through a colander and return it to the pot.
- Skim excess fat from the surface of the stock.
- Add the split peas, bay leaves, dried thyme, pepper and yellow onion.
- If you are using salt beef, add it here.
- I don’t add any salt at this point, the salt content of the ham you are using will determine if you need to add a little at the end; let your own taste be the guide.
- Simmer slowly and gently for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the peas do not stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Add the diced carrots and diced ham.
- Continue to simmer until the peas are no longer hard and have beome mushy (this could take 4 – 6 hours).
- Taste the soup at this point to determine if any additional salt is necessary; in all likelihood, it will not.
- Now, add the dough boys to a very gently simmering pot.
To prepare the dough boys:
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Using a wooden spoon, very quickly mix in the milk and melted butter.
- Do not over-work this dough.
- As soon as a soft dough forms; stop mixing.
- Make sure you give the soup one last good stir to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Immediately drop the dough, by heaping tablespoonfuls, into the slowly simmering soup.
- Place the cover on the pot and do not remove for 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes, remove the dough boys from the pot and give the soup a final stir.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
To thicken the soup, mix 1-1/2 tsp. of flour or cornstarch with 3 tsp. of water, stock or milk in a bowl. Stir the mixture until a smooth consistency forms. Pour and stir the mixture into your watery pea soup to thicken it. Repeat the process until the soup reaches your desired thickness.
