I’m going to try something new here and share some of our favorite recipes with you. I’ll admit: Cooking is not one of my natural talents. Over the years, though, we’ve gathered some recipes that are incredibly easy, low-cost and absolutely delicious. That’s a winning combination in my book.
First up is our Easy Pea-sy Split Pea with Ham Soup. This is one of my all-time favorite soups. It’s the perfect way to use up that leftover ham. I didn’t host Easter this year, but I scored not just one, but TWO ham bones. Woo hoo! Split pea soup for all!
Since this is a soup that generally freezes and defrosts well, I almost always make a double batch. This makes several servings and uses minimum ingredients, but yields maximum flavor. Even Grandmom loves it and asks for seconds. (In our family, that’s akin to “Look! Mikey likes it!”)
Easy Pea-sy Split Pea Soup
Adapted recipe and photos by Fun Finds for Families
Original recipe by Better Homes & Gardens
- 1 bag dried split peas, rinsed and drained
- Half bag of baby carrots, chopped
- Few handfuls celery, chopped
- 1 32 oz. pkg. chicken broth (we often opt toward reduced sodium)
- 1 ham bone (the meatier, the better)
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 3 cups water
- Pepper, just a dash or two
1. Start with the peas. Throw them in a bowl, rinse and drain a couple times. I usually have my son (he’s 3) help me pick out some of the casings that fall off during the rinse. Don’t worry about catching them all. You won’t — and it won’t matter.
2. Throw the rinsed and drained peas in a slow cooker.
3. Roughly chop the carrots and celery. Add to slow cooker.
4. Add entire ham bone, bay leaves, pepper.
5. Pour chicken broth and water over everything.
6. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6. *Or if you’re like me, a mix of the two. I usually like to get the ingredients in before we leave for the morning — around 9. That leaves about 8 hours until dinner time. I usually put it on high for 3 hours while we’re out, then turn it to low for the rest of the day. Since I’m always using fully-cooked ham leftovers, it’s really just about letting the flavors mix and warm up all day. If it were a different type of meat, I’d be more concerned with cooking it at a certain temp. or a certain time.
7. About 30 minutes before it’s ready, remove bay leaves and ham bone. Cut ham into smaller pieces. Return ham to slow cooker and cook another 20 to 30 minutes on low.
8. Enjoy! Since this is so veggie-heavy, we usually serve with sandwiches or wraps and fruit to balance the meal out.
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I’m going to admit I’ve never had pea soup! It looks tasty here though!
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