A hearty soup does wonders during cold weather.
This split pea soup is packed with savory ham, scrumptious seasonings, rounded out with green split peas. A tried-and-true recipe, this soup is delicious, nutritious, and kind to your wallet too.
Ingredients:
2 ¼ cup green split peas
4 cups water
2 cups vegetable broth
1 ham hock
1 large diced onion
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 clove minced garlic
1 tablespoon thyme (fresh or dried)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon parsley (fresh or dried)
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste
Instructions:
The day before you want to make your soup, put your green split peas in a large bowl. Add 4 cups of water and set them in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to soak.
The next day, before you start your soup, put your ham hock in a bowl of water for an hour to soak off some of the salt. Drain off the water before using it. This step is important, because your soup could come out incredibly salty without soaking the ham hock. You can always add back some salt later, but you can’t take it away once it’s been added.
In a large slow cooker or a large soup pot, add your soaked split peas and another 4 cups of water and your vegetable broth. If you’re using a slow cooker, set it on “high” and cover. If your using a pot, bring it to a simmer on medium-low heat and cover.
Dice up your vegetables and add them to your pot.
Mince your garlic, if you’re not using pre-minced, and add it to your pot as well.
Chop up your herbs if you’re using fresh ones.
Add your pepper, thyme, bay leaves, and parsley to the pot.
Put your whole ham hock in the pot and cover it back up.
Let it cook for 3 hours. For those using a slow cooker, leave it on “high”. For those using a pot, leave it on low to medium heat, make sure it’s simmering, cover it, and check on it periodically.
After 3 hours, remove the ham hock and remove the meat from the bone. Chop it back up and add it back into the soup.
If your using a slow cooker, move the soup into a soup pot at this stage. If you’re using a pot, it’s business as usual.
Increase your heat and bring the soup to a high simmer for another hour, keeping it covered. You may need to add more water at this stage, as all the simmering may have reduced it some. A cup or two usually works well without reducing the flavor.
In the last 10 minutes, bring your soup to a rolling boil. Smash the split peas into the side of the pot using a wooden spoon, or the like, to smooth the soup out and thicken it.
Taste the soup and add salt as desired.
Once the soup has reached your desired texture, allow it to cool and serve.
