Split Pea Soup Recipe

I love making old fashioned recipes like this one. You couldn’t pay me to eat split pea soup when I was little, but now I love it. I’ll make it several times a year, usually the day after having a ham dinner. This is a very tasty and better yet, it’s quite cheap too!

Directions:

Yield: 4-6 servings

1. If you are using ham stock, this recipe starts with your ham dinner the day prior to making the soup. Before baking ham I usually simmer my ham for a couple hours in a large pot. I will then save the water to use as ham stock for my soup. If you are using other stocks or bouillons, simply prepare 12 cups of those now over and place over medium heat.
2. If you have a leftover ham bone from your dinner, add that now. Also add the split peas, celery, onion and garlic.
3. Bring the soup to a boil. Once it reaches the boiling point turn down to a simmer. Let the soup simmer for 2-3 hours. This will let the peas soften.
4. After 2-3 hours, remove the ham bone. Remove any remaining ham from the ham bone and cube. Set aside to be added later.
5. Add the carrots and pepper. Continue simmering and cover for approximately 1 hour until the soup thickens. Stir occasionally to prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of your pot.
6. After the soup has reached your preferred thickness, add the cubed ham from earlier. Now the soup is ready to serve. Enjoy!

I don’t usually add salt to my pea soup when I am using ham stock. This is because ham is pickled and smoked and is usually quite salty. It is best to wait until after you have finished cooking your soup. If you find it needs more salt add it to taste. If you are using other stocks you may wish to add it when you add the pepper.