With LOTS of leftover ham after Thanksgiving, I decided to make my first ever batch of split pea soup!  I found various strategies for making this soup but went with this one as it was fairly quick, and allowed me to use the ham bone.  The final product was both filling and flavorful and we enjoyed it for lunches throughout the week.

Steps & Notes:

1. Put all of the following into a large soup pot
   1. 10 cups of water
      1. I used 5 cups of chicken stock and 5 cups of water
   2. 1 pound of dried peas
   3. 2 stalks of celery, chopped
   4. 1 large carrot, chopped
   5. 1 clove of garlic, chopped
   6. 1 large onion, chopped
   7. Herbs – 2 bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of thyme, 1 teaspoon of parsley
2. Prepare the ham
   1. Rinse the ham and cut off any remaining meat. I was able to get 1.5 cups which I diced and set aside.
3. Bring the soup to a simmer and “skim the scum”
   1. I didn’t initially see any scum, and after further research I learned that this may be due to the fact that I used a cooked ham bone rather than a raw hock. I’m not 100 % sure on this, and so I did skim the small bits of foam that did rise while avoiding the spices that were also floating. (I now see the value of the herb bag!)
4. Cook for 1.5 hours and enjoy the smell of peas that fills the kitchen
   1. Stir every now and then so that nothing sticks to the bottom
5. Blend with the immersion blender.
6. Add any more spices – I added pepper, but it was salty enough from the ham
7. Add some ham to each bowl before serving! (I kept it in a separate container in the fridge and added it each day before lunch as well)

Thoughts for Next Time:

• I didn’t have a leek to fully replicate the original recipe and so I will definitely make this again and add the leek
• The original recipe also called for an herb bouquet and/or bouquet garni. Cheese cloth is officially going onto my Christmas list so that I can have it in the pantry forever and always moving forward.
  • Some creative alternatives: a tea bag, a stapled coffee filter
• My mom always threw in a potato or two (and others suggest adding a sweet potato)
• Adding some curry
• Garnish with parmesan cheese
• Add a bit of liquid smoke (!)
• Add paprika for a smoky flavor
• Bake some homemade croutons
• Any other favorite tips and/or tricks others use when making split pea?

This is definitely another keeper.