Sunday Night Split Pea Soup

The simple pea has always been one of my favorite vegetables….I love the versatility of the pea as well.  It can be tossed into a potato salad, it can be thrown into pot pies most people seem to be quite accepting of the small round green orb called the pea.  I must share that while I love the ease of which I can make split pea soup I prefer my peas fresh out of the garden.   My favorite way to eat a pea is sitting cross-legged in the garden but obviously in January that is not to be.  However we are stocked up on dried beans and have a wide variety of choices to select from.

A lot of people will turn their nose up at Split Pea Soup for its appearance but not only is it delicious it is very nutritious!    Interesting to note because of how well dried peas store that they have historically been kept by countries for times of famine and split pea soup has been doled out for those dependent on public charity.  The pea is actually a legume whose origin is unknown because it is so ancient but most agree it is from somewhere between Central and Western Asia.  It seems perplexing that it would derive from there since so many people view the pea as a cold weather plant.  As a matter of fact I have pea plants in my garden still hanging in there in January.

Did you know that peas are packed with Vitamins A and K?  A little more than a half cup of peas has 5.5 grams of fiber and 5 grams of vegetable protein.    Dried peas are actually more dense so when you eat a half cup of dried peas you are getting more than 8 grams of fiber.

I hope will enjoy this recipe not only is it delicious but as you just read so good for you!

Sunday Night Split Pea Soup

1st break out your Crock Pot

1lb of split peas (make sure you rinse and sort)

Ham bone from the freezer

2 Cups of chicken broth made at home from the freezer  (Here is my homemade Stock blog Post)

4 Cups of water

1/2 onion

1/2 carrot

salt, pepper, celery seasoning

Throw it all in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours or low for four hours or so but be prepared you will need to add more water.

This was a nice treat on a cold night here in Coastal North Carolina.  I served it with pigs in a blanket.  I have a teen son who won’t admit that split pea is not his first choice but I think it makes coming to the table more enjoyable for him if he has one of his favorite items to eat as well.

Have a great Sunday!

Fondly,

PS – If you love soup like I do here are some posts to some of my other soup recipes!  And don’t forget to check out the Blog Hops I have listed below to find more recipes and made from scratch topics!

Potato, Ham & Leek Soup

and

Just Bean Soup

Let me know what you think!  This blog is linked to the following blog hops!

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