Ingredients (12)
- 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and medium dice
- 2 medium celery stalks, medium dice
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, medium dice
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 meaty smoked ham bone or 2 ham hocks (about 1 pound)
- 4 cups (1 quart) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Calories421
- Fat8.52g
- Saturated fat2.57g
- Trans fat0.06g
- Carbs53.17g
- Fiber20.66g
- Sugar7.73g
- Protein34.99g
- Cholesterol46.12mg
- Sodium681.04mg
- Nutritional Analysis per serving (6 servings) Powered by
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Something magical happens when dried split peas break down into a thick, naturally creamy, and delicious soup over several hours in the slow cooker. Here, all you do is lay down a layer of dried slit peas in your crockpot’s insert, then add a layer of diced carrot, celery, and yellow onion, with some garlic, parsley, and a bay leaf. Drop in a ham bone or smoked ham hocks, pour in chicken or veggie stock and water, turn on the slow cooker, and you’re on your way to making the ultimate comforting soup. This soup freezes well, so make a batch and save extra for later.
Make-ahead note: The recipe can be prepared through step 1 the night before and refrigerated, covered, in the slow cooker’s insert.
For more crockpot soups, check out our Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Red Pepper Soup, Slow Cooker Pork Ramen, and Slow Cooker Chicken Soup.
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What to buy
Crock-Pot 6-Quart Programmable Cook and Carry Oval Slow Cooker, $39.99 on Amazon
This top-rated Crock-Pot Cook & Carry Programmable Slow Cooker is perfect for the cook with a busy lifestyle and offers customizable cooking times and temperatures.
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Tips for Christmas, Ham, and Pork
For whole, bone-in hams, place the entire dish in a ham bag or cover with a thin dish rag. Both should be soaked in water with two tablespoons of white vinegar to preserve freshness, though it’s obviously ideal to cut the ham into smaller pieces and store using the methods above.
It is safe to cook frozen or partially-frozen pork, but its cooking time may take 50 percent longer. Frozen pork should not be cooked in a slow cooker.
Instructions
- 1Arrange the split peas in the slow cooker in an even layer. Arrange the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, parsley, and bay leaf over the peas in one even layer. Place the ham bone or hocks on top of the vegetables. (At this point you can remove the insert from the slow cooker, cover, and refrigerate up to 12 hours until ready to continue.)
- 2Pour the chicken broth and water into the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the peas are very soft and the meat is falling off the bone, on high for 5 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours.
- 3Remove the ham bone or hocks to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones, place the meat back in the soup (discard the skin and bones), and stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.
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Wine Pairing
2014 Rocca Maura IGP Viognier
A dry, white wine with a slight bit of sweetness that will balance out the spices.
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