Thursday, January 21, 2016

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

A few weeks back we cooked a big fat ham. An amazing thing and I loved every bit of it. I also discovered ham hocks and have been using them frequently when cooking green beans. Yes, I have mentioned it before, and yes, I am still very enamored with this smoked hock and it’s magical cooking powers.

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With some of the leftover ham we decided it would be nice to use up a bag of split peas and make soup. Brilliant soup, this is lovely in color and fabulously delicious. Lots of flavor, super easy. The slow cooker did all the work except the chopping. I am happy about all of it.


Here it s all stacked in the slow cooker. Pretty.

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Note: this wonderfully delicious soup may be adapted for vegetarians by using vegetable broth (in case you use chicken broth in your version) and leaving out the ham. Textured vegetable protein may be added if you like that extra substance.


Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

7 cups water
1(16 ounce) package dried split peas, rinsed and sorted (2 1/4 Cups)
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup chopped smoked ham (for vegetarians use textured vegetable protein)

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix all ingredients except ham in 5 quart slow cooker.

2. Cover and cook on low heat 8 hours or until peas are tender.

I'm linking up with Deb At Kahakai Kitchen (who is in Hawaii and I'm extremely jealous) for her Souper Sunday.

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I am sharing this with Beth Fish's Weekend Cooking Series and also linking up to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sunday.

SouperSundays




Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend. You do not have to post on the weekend. Please link to your specific post, not your blog's home page. For more information, see the welcome post.

23 comments:

  1. Would you believe I've never had split pea soup? I've also never cooked with a ham hock which my husband tells me means that I can't possibly be Southern - especially combined with the fact I don't like cornbread. Something about slow cookers makes soup and stews less intimidating and this sounds delicious. Plus, it's cold hear and there's nothing better on a cold day than soup!

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  2. Katherine, I didn't have grits until I was 27 and Doug introduced me to those. In spite of living in Florida now for longer than I lived in my home state, I am still learning and enjoying southern foods. I like what they call Yankee cornbread better so maybe you could try that. It's a bit sweeter. And yes! The slow cooker is great for soups!

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  3. This is sooooooooo soup weather! We had lentil soup with andouille sausages earlier this week. Tonight I've got some chicken and bok choy to use up ... another soup? Homemade bread? I think so.

    Split pea is my all-time favorite. I make it on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, in the pressure cooker. With ham, with leftover turkey (after thanksgiving), vegetarian ... any ole way it's the bestest and the most warming.

    Now I have to check out Souper Sundays.

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  4. Beth, I jumped the gun on linking with Soupe Sunday. Deb has it on hiatus.
    I totally agree about soup weather! I am making corn chowder next.

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  5. This looks yummy... love split pea soup. Seems funny to be making soup down here in southwest FL, but it certainly feels like soup weather to me!

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  6. Yum yum yummers! Your soup looks so good. Love split pea soup made in the slow cooker. I like to use ham hocks for portuguese bean soup (a favorite in Hawaii). :)

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  7. YUM! You don't mention what colour pea you used. I ask because it is always an argument in our house. My mother used green so I like them but my husband is used to yellow.

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  8. I just love, love a good pea soup, and it's amazing how much flavor even a bit of ham rind can add if you don't have a hock. Great for this soup weather we're having.

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  9. Boy would this be perfect for a day like today.

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  10. JoAnn, I make soup all year round. It's so comforting.

    Jama - I just learned about ham hocks and I love them.

    Jackie: I used green split peas. This is one of the easiest soups I have made in a long time.

    Thanks, Claudia, I agree, this weather calls for a warming comforting bowl of soup.

    Di - I know, and you are still in NYC, right? Brrrrr

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  11. Tina, I love soup too but it's high summer here so salads are to the fore! Cheers from Carole's Chatter!

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  12. Carole, I was thinking about you and how hot it must be where you are! I forget the Southern Hemisphere when it's so cold here ☺️

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  13. Split pea soup is so cozy for winter! Unfortunately, my husband is allergic to red meat, so ham doesn't work for us. I've tried vegetarian versions, but it lacks in richness!

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  14. I did this with leftover ham I stuck in the freezer at Christmas time this week, too! But I've never liked the look green split peas and have always used yellow instead. This time the bag of 15-Bean Soup mix of dried beans of all sizes and colors caught my eye, and I just followed the recipe on the bag, but just soaked the beans overnight first and then just piled everything in the Crockpot and turned it on. Delicious!

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  15. Joy, it is still good vegetarian version. I never heard of a red meat allergy, is it the preservatives?

    Laurie, I never used the yellow peas. Oh, we like the 15 bean soup, that is good stuff!

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  16. Yum!!!! I've never made split pea soup in my crockpot, but now that I have my new Instant Pot toy I've been thinking about making it in there. We're also a fan of 15 bean soup, too. Really any kind of soup! Tis the season.

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  17. My daughter loves Split Pea soup! Is Souper Sunday still going? I haven't seen a post in a while

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  18. Trish, yes! The slow cooker is amazing. Love it, love it. Love it! This was a good hearty soup. We
    Ike the 15 bean soup too.

    Vicki, no, the Souoer Sunday is on hiatus and I should have checked first. I think I should remove the link up .

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  19. Delicious. I've never cooked it in my slow cooker though #yum

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  20. I like split pea soup a lot, so I'll take a bowl, please. I have never used smoked ham in a soup: I must change that.

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