Growing up I LOVED Easter! It was so much fun! I remember all the cool candy I’d get in my Easter basket, but one thing I absolutely adored was the food. My mother would make egg sandwiches with the hardboiled eggs my sisters and I dyed and we would have an Easter ham.
Now personally, I’m not a fan of having the same protein every day for a week, I remembered discovering how much I didn’t really like Turkey past Thanksgiving (and even then I was never really into poultry). My mother was a leftover mastermind though. She was one of those people who could pull random things out of the fridge and somehow reinvent it and it would 9 out of 10 be amazing. One thing I looked forward to was her split pea soup! Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe for what she made, BUT I found this recipe which tastes exactly the same AND it’s a crock pot recipe which means you can set it and forget it while you go about your day!
This recipe comes from Valerie’s Kitchen which I happened to find on Pinterest! I love it because she even includes the calorie counts and nutrition for those who are still sticking to their new year's resolutions and it’s not that bad coming in at 276 per serving! This is a fantastic way to get the most out of that ham bone and any little bits of ham you might have left over. AND it freezes amazingly well which means if you want to bulk cook this and then store it away for the winter that’s a great idea!
Ingredients
16-ounce bag green split peas, rinsed well and drained
2 carrots peeled and chopped small
2 ribs celery chopped small
1/2 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt plus additional as needed
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1 meaty ham bone
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or more, as needed, divided
Instructions
1.) Layer the ingredients, through the ham bone, in a slow cooker in the order listed. Add about 4 to 5 cups of chicken broth, just enough to cover ingredients. Reserve remaining chicken broth for later. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours.
2.) Stir occasionally during cooking time. When peas are tender, remove the the the ham bone to a cutting board. Pull off tear the ham into small pieces and return it to the slow cooker. Discard ham bone and bay leaf. Use a spoon to lightly mash some of the peas against the side of the slow cooker and stir until nice and creamy, adding more broth, if needed, to reach desired consistency. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, as needed.
3.) This soup freezes exceptionally well. Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat in a microwave or in a saucepan on the stove. When reheating, thin with a little water or chicken broth, if desired.
If you made this, let me know how it went in the comments below! If you would like exclusive content into my life then feel free to follow my social media listed on the sidebar! Have a wonderful day! -Heather Autumn
Comments