Split Pea Soup

To be honest, this was never a soup that I ever wanted to try. I had a very good friend that made it fairly often and tried to get me to give it a whirl. Each time, I thanked her and politely declined. Somehow, the army green color was a real issue for me.

However, eventually I felt pressured to finally try it. I was visiting a friend in Vermont for the weekend and the verbal buildup to “I have an incredible lunch for you, your going to love it” led me to cave and finally try it. The buildup to the lunch was significant and I was quite excited, after my long drive, until of course, she told me what it was! I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I wouldn’t even try it…that the color was a COMPLETE turn-off. So, I did what any gracious and grateful guest would do, I tried it. Guess what, I loved it! So, sometimes you just have to be pushed, shamed, pressured into putting your preconceived notions aside and just TRY IT!

It also doesn’t hurt that this recipe could not be simpler and a definite must when you have a leftover ham bone. It’s delicious, healthy, quick, and a wonderfully hearty soup, perfect for a cold winter’s day. Please give it a try.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. dry green split peas
6 cups chicken broth
1 ham bone or as a distant second choice, a small ham steak
1 each small onion & medium carrot, diced
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
First, sort and rinse the dried peas. Next, in a 6 quart pot, combine all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat, cover the pot and simmer until the peas are tender, about 30 minutes.
When cool enough to handle, cut and dice the meat off of the bone. Do add more water if you find the soup too thick for you taste. Finally, top with fresh croutons, if desired and serve with a piece of crusty bread.

NOTES
This recipe makes quite a large quantity and thus makes it great choice for the freezer. Although it freezes exceptionally well, it does thicken a bit and all you need to do is add a bit of water, to the consistency that you prefer and serve as indicated above.