SLOW COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP

1 pound bag of dried split peas

rinse and pick over the peas

When I buy a ham I use it for about 3 different meals.

The first night is baked ham with mashed potatoes and green beans

The second day I make ham sandwiches or we make ham fried rice

or sauteed apple slices with ham and fingerling potatoes.

The third or fourth day I use what is left of the ham bone to

make split pea soup. I save some of the ham to dice to put in

the soup. (Vegetarians can easily make this soup without ham.)

Mirepoix (aka onions, celery and carrots. Also, called "aromatics."

This is the basis of almost every soup. In pea soup some people only

use carrots. Mirepoix is pronounced meer-PWAH.

Saute mirepoix until soft

Add mirepoix to slow cooker with washed beans and leftover hambone.

Add 8 cups of water, 10 peppercorns (optional)

2 bay leaves (optional) and and squeeze one whole lemon and drop

it in the slow cooker. No salt is needed because the ham will give salt.

Vegetarians who are omitted the ham will want to add salt.

This is another simple recipe that can be done either on the stove or in the slow cooker. It is quicker on the stove and only takes about an hour and a half. In the slow cooker it will take a minimum of 5 hours on high but most likely will need 6. Sometimes I serve it with pumpernickel bread or pumpernickel cheese toast. You can also make pumpernickel croutons.

SLOW COOKER SPILT PEA SOUP

Makes 9 cups

1 pound dried green split peas (about 3 cups)

1 leftover ham bone with some meat on it (or you can buy a ham hock)

1 yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

3 carrots, peeled and diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of kosher salt or sea salt

8 cups cold water (or low-salt chicken broth)

amount of water depends on how thin or thick you like your soup

2 bay leaves, optional

10 black peppercorns or teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

1 lemon, optional

Rinse peas and place in slow cooker. Add ham bone or ham hock.

Saute onion, celery and carrots in olive oil with a pinch of kosher salt or sea salt. Cook about halfway or until onions are soft. Add to slow cooker.

Add 8 cups of water, 2 bay leaves, black peppercorns. Cut a lemon in half, squeeze it and drop the whole lemon in the slow cooker.

Cook for 6 hours on high or overnight on low. Remove ham bone. Dice leftover ham or add additional diced ham if you wish. The beans are usually soft enough that just stirring them with a spoon is enough to puree them. If you want a finer puree then use an immersion blender or put it in batches in the blender. (Click here to see pictures of instructions for blending hot liquids)

Sometimes I'll refrigerate it and if there is any fat on the top I remove the fat. But I try to trim the fat off the ham before I put it in the slow cooker.

160 calories per cup, 10.3 grams protein, 2.3 grams fiber, Iron 13%, Vitamin A 9%. Also high in manganese and phosphorus.