Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup 

INGREDIENTS:

15 cups water

4 cups split green or yellow peas

1 smoked ham shank

1/2 lb. ham 

1 small onion diced

4 cloves garlic minced

3 cups carrots diced

3 cups celery diced

1/2 green pepper minced

1/2 red pepper minced

3 small red potatoes diced

2-3 knorr chicken bouillons

2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 bunch Italian parsley stemmed and minced. 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Fill stock pot with 15 cups water, add sorted and rinsed split peas and bring to a medium boil. (Sorted, meaning, pour split peas on counter and sort through to remove anything foreign. Ex. Little stones or bad peas. 

2. Simmer/boil peas for approx 20 minutes removing and discarding foam that rises to surface. 

3. Add ham hock portion and ham portion and continue simmering at a medium boil for another 15 to 20 minutes. (Continue skimming off and discarding foam that surfaces from ham and peas)

4. Add diced onions, minced garlic, carrots, celery, minced red and green peppers and diced potatoes, 2 bouillons, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon crushed black pepper, stir and bring soup back to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally for approx 30 minutes. 

6. Remove ham from pot being certain to remove any bone fragments that may have slipped from ham hock portions and set aside. 

7. When split peas are soft, use blender wand to puree soup to preferred texture. I like to still have little bits of the vegetables visible rather than completely creamy but either way is fine. Even if you don't want to Puree at all... 

8. Minced Italian parsley can be added anytime. Sometimes I add it with the vegetables. Other times I add it at the very end when I add the chopped up ham back into the soup that has already been puréed. 

9. Taste soup broth occasionally to make any adjustments. Sometimes I add an extra bouillon or maybe a little extra salt.  

Note: Kruse Ham- (I buy the butt portion; less bone than shank portion. (kruse, is the brand) I buy the ham at Stater Bros when they have sales and cut it into 1/2 to 1 pound portions that I freeze.)

Makes approx. 16 cups of soup.

Enjoy!!