Potato, Leek and Ham Hock Soup
Ham hocks are one of those ingredients that is synonymous with soup - pea and ham soup to be specific. We currently sell two different pea and ham soups, so it’s safe to say that we are fans. BUT - variety is the spice of life! So when you’re all pea and ham souped out (side note: is this possible?), what else can you use ham hocks for? The good news is, ham hocks are really versatile.
Ingredients
- 1 Free Range Ham Hock
- 6 cups of Free Range Chicken Bone Broth or stock
- 850g potatoes (about 4 cups)
- 2 leeks (white part only)
- 1 cup cream 1 brown onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 bay leaves
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Salt (to taste - ham hocks can be quite salty so you may not need much, if any)
Method
- Thoroughly wash leeks, then chop finely. Dice the brown onion, and crush the garlic. Add all of these to a pan with butter. Pick thyme leaves and sprinkle over.
- At the same time, peel the potatoes and cut into chunks.
- Saute leeks, onion and garlic until soft and fragrant, then transfer to a slow cooker set to high.
- Add bay leaves, potato, ham hock, and chicken broth to the slow cooker. Leave to cook in the slow cooker on high until potatoes are tender (about 4 hours).
- Remove ham hock from the slow cooker, shred any meat left on the hock and set aside.
- Puree the soup mixture using either a stick blender or a food processor. Add in cream and meat and stir through, then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide into bowls and garnish with a little extra thyme, then serve with crusty bread.
