SPLIT PEA SOUP

To me, there's nothing better than a bowl of soup in the winter months...whether it be lunch or dinner. I'm totally satified with a hearty soup for a meal.   A month or so ago, I tried a tomato bisque that was absolutely delicious!  With that success, I thought I'd try a split pea soup.  I've always enjoyed split pea and was dreaming of a creamy pea soup with chunks of ham.  This recipe definitely delivered.....and the best thing is, you can throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and let it simmer all day long.

**I soaked the peas in 2 quarts of water overnight.  There are mixed reviews as to whether you need to do this especially when you're cooking the soup in the crockpot, so you decide.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. split peas

2 cups carrots, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

32 oz. chicken broth

½ tsp. thyme

2 cups water

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups ham, cubed

1 cup chopped celery

1 Tbsp. black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Remove peas from the water and add them and the rest of the ingredients to a crockpot.  Cover and cook 7-8 hours on low, or 4-5 hours on high.   Remove bay leaves before serving.

Tip:

I like my soups a bit creamier, so I chose to thicken mine up before serving.  To do that, I removed approximately 3 cups of the soup and placed it in a blender, I also added ¼ cup of instant mashed potato flakes (it was a great thickener...I love google!) to the soup.  Puree for approximately 30-45 seconds and then added that mixture back into the crockpot.  For me, it was the perfect consistency!  

Now today, after chilling in the fridge all night long, I found the soup needed to be thinned a bit, so I just added a bit of milk.  So good!!!

Enjoy!

Recipe c/o:  familyfreshmeals.com