How to Make Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is one of those meals that can be considered comfort food. Undoubtedly, you grew up eating it when your mother or grandmother would cook the meal, and it probably reminds you of home. It’s a great recipe to keep on tap all year long, whether it’s a cold winter day or the middle of a summer heat wave. This simple recipe will have you making your own delicious split pea soup in no time at all. This is a recipe that takes about 10 hours from the start to the finish. You can make it ahead of time and freeze it, store it and save it for a rainy day. What you’ll need includes the following:

1 lb. dried split peas
1 ham hock
3 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped onions (yellow onions)
½ cup celery chopped
½ cup carrots chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
8 cups water
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme to taste

Start by placing your peas in a bowl on the stove with water covering it so that there is two inches of water above the peas. You will need to do this the night before you want to cook your peas – or first thing in the morning. The peas have to sit in the water for 8 hours before they are drained and set aside.

When your 8 hours has passed, you will slice some thin slices in your ham and place it on the stove in a pot of water and let it boil. Once it begins to boil, turn the heat down to low and let the ham simmer for one hour before draining.

Using a large pot on the stove, melt your butter. Add your onions and cook for 2 minutes before adding your celery and carrots and cooking for another 3 minutes. Then you will add your garlic and let cook for about 30 seconds. Place the ham into the pot and let it brown, adding the peas and the rest of your ingredients to the pot. You’ll want to leave your soup on medium heat and let it cook for approximately an hour while stirring on occasion. Before serving, take the bay leaf out and throw it away.

Here is a simple video to help: