Split Pea Soup with Leftover Ham Bone

Serves 8 in about 8 hours. A slow cooker recipe built around ribs celery and ham hocks.

Ingredients

• 1 lb green split peas, rinsed and sorted (unsoaked)
• Meaty ham bone (or meat of your choice. see below)
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 ribs celery, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves, dried (or 3 sprigs fresh)
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional) for vegetarian version
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, add last, after cooking, if needed (or ¼ tsp table salt)
• 6 slices bacon, uncooked, chopped
• 2 small ham hocks (not very meaty, but add a nice smoky flavor and richness)
• 2 - 3 cups diced leftover ham
• 1 leftover ham bone

Method

1. After rinsing and sorting the split peas, add them to a 6-quart slow cooker.
2. Tip in your choice of meat, if using
3. Stir in the onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, garlic, and pepper.
4. Tip in the broth and stir (Add liquid smoke, if using, for vegetarian method).
5. Set the lid on the slow cooker.
6. Simmer on Low for 8-9 hours, or until the peas are soft and creamy.
7. When the cooking time has finished, remove the bay leaves and the ham bone or ham hocks, if you used them.
8. Mix the soup well, and taste. Stir in the salt as desired.
9. Plate hot. The soup will thicken quite a bit when it cools, that is normal. It will thin out again when reheated.

More slow cooker ideas are in the slow cooker collection.