Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
75 | Calories |
1g | Fat |
13g | Carbs |
5g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
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Servings: 8 servings | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 75 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 1g | 1% |
Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
Cholesterol 2mg | 1% |
Sodium 450mg | 20% |
Total Carbohydrate 13g | 5% |
Dietary Fiber 4g | 15% |
Protein 5g | |
Calcium 37mg | 3% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
Split pea soup is classic comfort food. This version is a basic combination of green split peas, ham, vegetables, and seasonings.
This basic pea soup is cooked on the stovetop, but with just a few alterations, it may be cooked in the slow cooker.
If you like a smooth pea soup, reserve the diced ham and blend all or part of the soup in batches* when it's done. Add the ham and heat through.
Top this soup off with a little finely chopped ham, crumbled bacon, or crunchy croutons.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry green split peas
- 2 quarts water (or low- or no-sodium vegetable or chicken broth)
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 1 cup onion (chopped)
- 1 large dried bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram (crushed)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme (crushed)
- Dash pepper
- 1 cup celery (chopped)
- 1 cup carrot (chopped)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- Garnish: bacon (crumbled, or finely chopped ham)
Steps to Make It
Note: there are two great methods you can use to create this delicious chicken stew: using the stovetop or the slow cooker.
Stovetop Method
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Gather the ingredients.
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In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, cover dried peas with 2 quarts of water.
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Bring the peas to a boil; boil gently for 2 minutes.
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Set aside to soak for 1 hour.
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Add ham bone to the peas, along with chopped onion, bay leaf, garlic powder, marjoram, thyme, and pepper, and bring the soup to a boil.
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Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
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Remove meat from the ham bone. If desired, put a little finely chopped ham aside for garnish. Dice the meat and return to pea soup with chopped celery and carrot.
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Simmer the pea soup gently for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Taste and add salt, as needed. Remove the bay leaf.
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If desired, top servings with reserved finely chopped ham or crumbled cooked bacon.
Slow Cooker Method
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Gather the ingredients.
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When using this method, you can omit the soaking time. Instead, rinse the split peas and reduce the liquid (water or broth) to 1 quart.
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Combine the ingredients (except salt and garnish) in the slow cooker.
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Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until the peas are tender. Or cook on high for about 4 to 5 hours. If cooking on high, it might be necessary to add more liquid.
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Remove the meat from the ham bone and chop.
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Return the chopped meat to the soup. Taste and season with salt, as needed.
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Garnish servings with some reserved diced ham or cooked crumbled bacon.
Tips
- If you decide to use a blender to puree the soup, please take ensure that you are using proper safety measures. The steam from hot liquids can cause an explosion in a blender, so use caution when blending hot soup or other liquids. Fill the blender about one-third full, and never more than half full. Loosen the cup in the center of the blender lid. Place a folded kitchen towel over the lid and hold it down firmly while processing.