It’s time for Karen’s Killer Fixin’s! Over the years, I’ve filled two 4-inch, 3-ring binders with my own creations as well as recipes my family and friends were willing to share with me. I simply love to cook and want to share that love with my readers. So every Friday, I share one recipe I think you and your family might enjoy. It might be a main course recipe from my own kitchen or a guest author favorite. It could be a cookie or baked item. Candy. Salads. Whatever strikes the eye and fancy…which today is SPLIT PEA SOUP!
While many of us are in “winter mode”, it’s a good time to make hot and hearty soup. Made in a crockpot, it’s an easy dinner to start before work so you come home to a wonderful smelling house. Throw on some rolls or hot bread or grilled cheese sandwiches and the family is happy…and filled with comfort food. I make this recipe several times over the winter, if I have a ham bone handy. If I don’t want soup on the heel of a ham dinner, I’ll freeze the ham bone and just pull it out when I’m ready to throw this soup together.
I hope you enjoy today’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 573 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right-hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
SPLIT PEA SOUP from Karen’s Kitchen
[Serves 6]
Ingredients:
1 ham bone
1 pkg. split peas
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 heaping tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Thyme
1 bay leaf
1 T. ham base (optional)*
Salt & pepper to taste (see * note below)
Water or chicken stock
Place all of the ingredients in large crockpot and cover everything with water or chicken stock, or a mix of both. Make sure ham bone is completely covered. Cook on HIGH all day. A couple of hours before you plan to eat, check the taste for adjustments with salt and pepper. If you need more, add small amount and wait ten minutes before tasting again. You can always add more. Water or chicken stock can be added if necessary. (Heat it before adding to crockpot.) Also check that the peas are softening. Split peas soak up the liquid to soften, so some absorption is expected to thicken the soup. Before serving, remove the bay leaf and ham bone. (It will fall apart, so be sure to pull all meat chunks to check for bone.) Let ham bone cool a bit before removing the meat. Put meat back into crockpot. Serve with hot bread or grilled cheese sandwiches.
*If ham bone has a lot of ham, the ham base probably isn’t necessary. I usually add it, though, and NOT use salt and pepper. I’ll taste it later in afternoon to see if I want to add salt (seldom) or pepper. If the ham was salty, definitely avoid salt and ham base until later in the day. Then, add only what you need for taste.
Happy Eating!
Thanks. We love split pea soup! 😀
You’re welcome, Diana. Enjoy!
Nothing better than home made split pea soup…I’m a non-ham person, though, and don’t put bay in either…lots of onions and shredded carrots go in!
Thanks!
It gets most of it’s flavor from the onions and carrots anyway. I have been known to leave out the bay leaf, too, if I’m out or don’t think of it.
Split Pea soup is one of my favorites. I love yellow split pea soup, as well as green. I also like to mix yellow and green. I’d usually use ham hocks instead of ham.
A mix would be tasty, too. I use ham because I do occasionally buy a ham for a family dinner. Ham hocks never seem to hit my grocery list. LOL
Thanks for the recipe. It’s definitely soup time!!
Winter is about the only time I bother. Otherwise, it’s too “heavy” when it’s hot outside.
Yum, I love Split Pea Soup!
It’s one of our top favorites, too.