Introduction: Ham and Pea Soup for 67p! and Serves 2!

About: Well, they say life begins at 30. I have recently immigrated to Australia where my Father currently runs an olive grove and vineyard in the sunny South East corner of Queensland. And I have followed in his foo…

In Asda in the UK at the moment, you can get tins of mushy peas for 6p a tin! Tesco also do them for the same price, however there is no where near as much protein in the Tesco ones for some reason.
Also, 10 slices of Tesco Value ham is £1.09. I use 5 slices per 2 tins, so 5 slices of ham - 55p and 2 tins of mushy peas - 12p!
Now, not many people (especially youngsters like myself) like mushy peas it seems. However, you can make a great pea and ham soup that will give 2 people a decent size portion using 2 cans. 

Step 1:

First off, the ingredients:

2 cans of mushy peas.
1 pack of smoked ham (I buy the cheapest I can get as quality isn't top on my priority list).
1 vegetable or chicken stock cube.
Salt and pepper to taste.

And that's it!
Of course, add whatever else you want, experiment! 

Step 2:

Chuck the 2 tins of mushy peas into a large microwave safe pot, or just into a large pan if you're cooking on a stove top.
If you're cooking on a stove top, you may as well get the heat going.
If you're cooking in a microwave as I do, heat them on full power for 2 minutes.

Step 3:

Whilst your peas are heating up, boil the kettle and add the stock cube to about half - two thirds of a mug of boiling water.
If you're cooking in a microwave, it probably will be done by now. Add the mug of stock to the bowl of peas, stir and put back in the microwave for 2 more minutes.
If you're cooking on a stove, just chuck in the mug of stock.

Step 4:

Whilst your peas and stock are still heating, get your sliced ham and cut it up into strips or however you like your pieces of ham in the soup!
I use 5 slices (half a pack) per 2 tins of peas, but as with any recipe, add more or less, up to you.

Step 5:

Now, it's at this point where you can decide whether you want all, some or none of your ingredients blended to make a finer, creamier soup or leave it all un-blended for a more rustic traditional approach.
If you decide to blend, i've found the best approach is to use a hand held blender. Much less washing up for a start! And you also have better control over how well blended you want your soup.
As you can see, the two results are very different.

Step 6:

And thats it, you're done! Garnish with salt/ pepper etc to taste. And a couple of good doorstep wedges of home cooked bread goes down a treat!
And all for 67p!