If you’re craving comfort in a bowl, look no further than this nostalgic pea and ham soup recipe straight from the Scenic Rim’s rich culinary heritage. Inspired by the traditions of generations past, this hearty dish comes from Scenic Rim Food Ambassador and celebrated chef Brenda Fawdon. It’s a warm hug of a recipe—slow-cooked with real stock, a generous ham hock, and a story behind every spoonful. Whether you’re exploring Eat Local Month or just chasing winter cosiness, this classic soup is the perfect way to taste the soul of the Scenic Rim.
A Bowl of Memories: Grandmother Ivy Week’s Pea and Ham Soup Recipe
If comfort had a flavour, this would be it. When chef Brenda Fawdon of Picnic Real Food Bar shares a recipe, you know it’s going to come from the heart and this one goes even deeper, back to her Grandmother Ivy Week’s kitchen. No shortcuts. No Tetra Paks,. Just a simmering pot of love made with real stock, a hefty ham hock, and the sort of memories that wrap around you like a woolly jumper.
This is the kind of soup that sustained generations — eaten every night for a week with thick slices of buttered bread. And honestly, you won’t mind one bit.
Why You’ll Love This Pea and Ham Soup Recipe
- True comfort food: This soup is nostalgia in a bowl, packed with hearty, honest ingredients.
- Meal prep gold: It tastes even better the next day – and the day after that.
- Freezer-friendly: Make a big batch and freeze in portions for quick winter warm-ups.
- Budget conscious: A big pot goes a long way, using humble ingredients with maximum flavour
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Grandmother Ivy’s Pea and Ham Soup
This wholesome pea and ham soup is a cherished family recipe from Scenic Rim Food Ambassador Brenda Fawdon, passed down from her Grandmother Ivy Week. Made with a meaty ham hock, plenty of vegetables, and real chicken stock, it’s a nourishing, slow-cooked dish that’s as comforting as it is delicious. Perfect for chilly nights and even better the next day.
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried split peas
- 6 cups chicken stock (homemade if possible)
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 large brown onion, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 1kg ham hock
- 200g ham, roughly diced
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Croutons and chopped parsley, to serve
Instructions
In a large pot, combine the split peas, stock, diced vegetables, ham hock, and bay leaf.
Simmer on low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally, until the peas break down and the soup thickens.
Remove the ham hock and bay leaf. Allow the hock to cool, then shred the meat into bite-sized chunks.
Blend the soup until creamy. Add a little water if it’s thicker than you like. I used a hand held stick mixer straight into the slow heat cooker.
Return the ham hock meat and diced ham to the soup. Stir through and heat gently until warmed.
Serve steaming hot, topped with crispy croutons and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
Notes
I used a slow heat cooker for this recipe - Low setting: 8–9 hours or High setting: 5–6 hours. Cook until the peas have broken down and the meat is fall-apart tender.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 469Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 135mgSodium: 676mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gProtein: 47g
Eatdrinkandbekerry.net offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only.
Chef Brenda Fawdon Picnic Real Food Bar
Rediscover the Heart of Home Cooking at Eat Local Month
Long before food fads and delivery apps, it was nannas, aunties, and great-grandmothers who quietly shaped our food culture. These women cooked by feel, preserved the season’s bounty, and passed on recipes through stories, not screens.
This legacy takes centre stage at A Celebration of Lost Culinary Arts, returning to the Scenic Rim’s Winter Harvest Festival on Saturday, 28 June. It’s a heartfelt tribute to the kitchen wisdom of generations past, where you can get hands-on with skills that once filled every pantry – jam making, butter churning, pickling, fermenting, and more.
Adding a modern twist, Scenic Rim Food Ambassadors, some of Australia’s most acclaimed chefs, will honour the women who taught them to cook by sharing their own treasured family recipes. It’s a rare chance to taste the past, shaped by the hands that fed it.
Chef Brenda Fawdon has been shaping the way Queensland eats for decades. A true pioneer of sustainable, wholefood cooking, her journey started in Brisbane where she opened Primavera back in 1981, followed by The Soup Kitchen and then Mondo Organics, Brisbane’s first organic restaurant, cooking school, and catering company. In 2010, Brenda made the move to Tamborine Mountain, drawn by the rich bounty of local produce and the strong sense of community.
Together with her long-time collaborator Sonja Drexler, she created North Stores, a beautifully curated space that brings together food, art, and sustainability. At its centre is Picnic Real Food Bar, a café that lives and breathes Brenda’s food philosophy—simple, nourishing dishes made with seasonal, local ingredients. It’s a place where compost from the kitchen nourishes the garden out back, and every decision is made with care for both the planet and the people eating there.
Brenda’s influence stretches well beyond the kitchen. She’s written Wholehearted Food and co-authored the Eat Local series, celebrating the Scenic Rim’s growers and makers. As a Scenic Rim Food Ambassador, she’s a passionate voice for the region, helping people connect more deeply with what’s on their plate and where it comes from.
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