Every year, right after Easter, I find myself with lots of leftover ham. Today is again, one of those days! The weather took a major turn and it has dropped about 40 degrees, pretty much overnight. Easter Sunday was warm, sunny and beautiful and about 85 degrees, and when we woke up on Monday morning, the temperature was about 45. It is cold and weather like this calls for soup! So what better to do with leftover ham then to make a pot of Split Pea Soup?!
I love Split Pea Sop because it tastes great and it is creamy, but does not have any cream or thickener added. The split peas themselves cook down with the chicken broth and just get thick and delicious! You can also freeze this soup and pull it out in a few weeks when you don’t feel like cooking or need a quick and healthy lunch!
And, did I mention that split peas are not only delicious and easy to cook, but they are so good for you?! Full of protein, iron and zinc, and are also a great anti-inflammatory food. Just another reason to whip up a pot of this soup this week!
Ingredients:
1-16 oz bag split peas
3 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
8 cups chicken stock or broth
salt and pepper
1 ham hock, or about 10-12 oz chopped ham
Directions:
In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring often, for another minute or two. Add the ham hock or chopped ham, chicken stock, and bag of split peas. Bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to low and continue to cook for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the peas are thick and soft. You may need to add some extra broth if the soup gets too thick.
Remove the ham hock and discard the bone, and add the chopped ham back into the soup. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with some additional chopped ham. Enjoy!
