Just a bit of chopping, and this wonderful recipe is ready for the slow cooker. It cooks all day while you are away, so it's ideal for the working family. This hearty soup is not the prettiest soup on the block, by far, but the taste and texture can't be beat. Hot soups, especially those made in the slow cooker, are the best when it's cold and snowy outside.
Split peas, unlike other legumes such as black beans or kidney beans, do not need to be soaked before cooking. Just sort over the peas and remove any pieces of dirt, small stones, and sticks. Remember that split peas are a raw produce, and may have some contamination.
Remember that acidic ingredients can prevent split peas and other legumes from softening. Do not add any tomato products or lemon or vinegar to this recipe or the peas will not soften properly. And make sure that your peas aren't old. Buy a new batch for this recipe. The long cooking time of this recipe means the peas will be cooked very soft, and some will break apart and thicken the soup.
Serve this warming and delicious soup with some cheese crackers, a green salad, or a fresh fruit salad for a wonderful meal on a cold night.
Ingredients
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 1/2 cups dry split peas, sorted
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery leaves
3 large carrots, peeled, sliced
2 tablespoons mincedfresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshlyground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
Steps to Make It
Spray a 4 to 6 quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine ham, split peas, onion, garlic, celery, celery leaves, carrots, parsley, thyme, pepper, salt, chicken broth, and water in the prepared crock pot and stir to combine.
Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours. Just before serving use a potato masher to mash some of the peas in the soup for a thicker consistency if desired.
Note: Split peas should soften just fine in this amount of cooking time. They do not need presoaking. If your split peas are hard after this length of cooking time, there is something wrong with the peas or with your water. If the peas are very old and dried out, they won't soften. And if the water you use for making the soup is hard with lots of dissolved minerals that can stop the peas from softening. Use bottled water if that is the case.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 274 | Calories |
| 3g | Fat |
| 39g | Carbs |
| 24g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 274 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 3% |
| Cholesterol 32mg | 11% |
| Sodium 1282mg | 56% |
| Total Carbohydrate 39g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber 14g | 52% |
| Total Sugars 8g | |
| Protein 24g | |
| Vitamin C 7mg | 35% |
| Calcium 63mg | 5% |
| Iron 4mg | 20% |
| Potassium 793mg | 17% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
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