Split Pea Soup

The combination of chicken broth and the different meats in this soup gives it a distinctive flavor. Because the sodium content in the broth and meats can affect the flavor, wait until the soup is cooked and, when you taste it for seasoning, add salt if it’s needed.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 strips bacon, diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 3 large carrots, peeled
• 1 large sweet onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cups dried split peas, rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups water
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 smoked ham hock
• 4 ounces smoked sausage or ham, diced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Add the bacon and celery to the slow cooker; cover and cook on high while you prepare the carrots. Grate half of one of the carrots and dice the remaining carrots. Add the grated carrot and diced onion to the slow cooker; stir to mix them in with the bacon and celery. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until the onions are transparent.
2. Add the diced carrots, split peas, broth, water, potatoes, ham hock, and smoked sausage or ham to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the peas are soft. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ham hock; remove the meat from the bone and return it to the slow cooker. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed.

Adjustments to the Split Pea Soup Recipe

If you have homemade Ham Broth available, you can substitute ½ cup of it for an equal amount of the water and omit the smoked ham hock. This is a soup that can also be enhanced by adding ½ cup of Pork Broth instead of that much of the water, too.