Split Pea Soup
Vegetarian/Vegan/ OR use a Ham bone or ham hock
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 onion chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
2 cups green or yellow split peas
6 cups chicken or turkey stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 tsp dried oregano
2-3 freshly minced garlic, or1 tsp garlic powder
1 Bay leaf
1 ham bone or hock, a piece of bacon or ham (totally optional) OR 1 smoked chili for vegan and vegetarian soup.
½ cup minced or shredded ham, bacon, or pancetta for topping
1 tbsp ghee or olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (REMEMBER ham is salty to go easy and taste first before adding too much salt)
* For thicker soup, add 1/2 C more split peas OR 1 cup diced potatoes in last 30 min. of cooking
- Sweat onion, carrots and celery for 3- 5 minutes until soft.
- Add seasonings: oregano, bay leaf and salt and pepper
- Add ham hock or leftover ham bone, bacon or chipotle pepper, stock, and rinsed peas
- Bring to boil over medium heat, cover and simmer stirring occasionally until peas are very soft approx 1hr
- Remove bone, Bay Leaf, and IF USING the chipotle pepper
- Puree soup using a hand immersion blender, in food processor or a blender (if using a blender, be very careful that the lid to blender is secure and doesn’t pop up while blending with hot soup! OUCH! We cover lid with a dish towel to prevent lid from popping up and possibly burning ourselves)
- Return pureed soup to pot.
- Taste soup and adjust flavor if needed with salt and pepper. Thin if too thick with more stock if desired.
- Add shredded ham into soup, and mix well.
- Reserve some shredded ham for top of soup when serving.
- Serve with crusty garlic baguette. Either Against the Grain or Udi’s French Baguette