split pea and ham soup

prep 15 min.

ready 3 hrs. 

serves 8

It has been below zero now for a couple of days and it is just plain freezing. Perfect day to make a pot of hot soup. This simple soup will make a nice dinner and will be ready in a few hours. Adding croutons and having fresh bread also will make this a great winter meal. This recipe was from the good old tried and true Betty Crocker Cook Book. Thanks Betty!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4  cups dried split peas, (1 pound)

• 8 cups water

• 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

• 2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped (1 cup)

• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

• 1 ham bone or 2 pounds shanks

• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices (1 1/2 cups) (I used two large carrots)

Directions

1. Place peas in a large soup stock pot or Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Leave uncovered and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and place the lid back on the pot and let sit for a hour.

2. Add the onion, ham, celery and salt and pepper. Bring all to a boil and then reduce heat to low and let simmer for an hour or to the peas are tender. Test a few pieces and if they are still crunchy continue the boil until they are tender.

3. Remove the ham bone from the pot and cut off the meat into small 1/2 inch pieces. I used additional ham that was precut from a past ham dinner and already cut and froze anticipating making soup so I just left as is.

4. Add the ham back to the pot and stir in the carrots and bring all to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer 30-45 minutes until the carrots are cooked. They should be nice and tender not crunchy. Give the soup a good stir and let cool slightly before serving.

The soup turned out very well and was easy to do. It was perfect for a day where the temperature did not even get close to zero. It will be even better the second day when we have it for leftovers.