I've come to the conclusion that the real reason I buy spiral hams are so I can squirrel away the bone to use for split pea soup. I dutifully wrapped and froze the bone from the Christmas ham and with the weather forecast predicting very chilly weather for the rest of the week, today seemed the perfect day to whip up a batch. I've posted other recipes for split pea soup, some made in my Dutch oven and others in the crock pot. This is a simple recipe, but it yields a lot of wonderful, thick split pea soup. I love making it in the crock pot because it's so easy. You don't have to soak the peas and the texture is perfect. An added bonus is that the soup freezes well.
1 lb dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 ham bone (with a generous serving of ham attached)
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
6 cups water
Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, nestling the hambone in the center. Cook on high for 5-6 hours. Really, can it get any easier than that? And it makes a lot of soup!
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TASTE NOTES
This is a great way to get your veggies in. The carrots make the soup sweet and the absence of potatoes makes it leaner. All you need are some croutons and dinner is served. The soup is very thick; if you prefer it thinner, use some low-salt chicken broth or water.
