Every year after Thanksgiving I use the leftover ham hock and make a big pot of Split Pea Soup. It’s thick and creamy, and utterly delectable. Besides being delicious, it’s also one of the easiest soups you can make using simple ingredients.
With Easter just around the corner, many families will be serving up a ham and this recipe is the perfect way to use that ham hock after Easter. Place that ham hock in a ziplock bag and freeze it. When that cold rainy spring day hits, and you get a hankering for something hot and comforting to warm you belly, this soup will definitely hit the spot!
Are you looking for a tasty ham recipe for the upcoming holiday? Skip the expensive spiral cut hams that dry out in the oven and give this Honey Mustard Glazed Ham recipe a try instead. No more dry as sawdust ham…guaranteed!
This is a thick, rich, creamy soup that doesn’t contain any cream. If you are a fan of creamy soups you will really enjoy this soup. Not only is it delicious but its packed with healthy veggies, so it’s good for you too!
There is a restaurant here in California that is famous for their Split Pea Soup. We’ve stopped in many times over the years. My husband agrees that this recipe is a thousand times better! You are going to love how utterly easy it is to make!
When you purchase a ham, be sure to purchase a ham with the bone. After dinner save that ham hock with all those yummy little bits of ham attached. We are going to use it to make this soup taste amazing. The ham hock imparts a smoky, salty flavor to the soup as it cooks, it adds a flavorful layer of goodness to the soup. That ham hock is flavor central!
You will need to use the biggest crockpot that you have.
Place ham hock, split peas, and pepper into the slow-cooker.
Add carrots, celery, potatoes, onion, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
Add enough chicken broth to cover all the ingredients. Depending on the size of the ham hock will determine how much chicken broth you will need. It’s ok to add a bit of water if you don’t have enough chicken broth.
Stir all the ingredients together with a wooden spoon to combine.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours. If you are going to be home, start the crockpot on high for about 60-90 minutes to get it going. Once the liquid is simmering away, turn the heat to low and continue cooking until all the veggies are soft, about another 7-8 hours on low.
Use tongs to remove the ham hock and fish out the bay leaves and any large chunks of ham that have fallen off the bone. The meat will be hot, so carefully remove as much of the meat from the ham hock as you can and shred it with a fork into bite sized pieces. Set the shredded meat aside.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the slow cooker until you have a nice smooth, creamy, thick soup. You can leave a few chunks to give the soup some texture, but we like the texture nice and smooth.
Taste and season with additional salt if needed.
Once you have puréed the soup to the consistency you prefer, return the reserved ham pieces to the soup. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
To serve, top each bowl with either freshly cracked pepper or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve with a crusty loaf of freshly baked bread and butter.
Want to learn how to bake your own bread? It’s really easy to do. You can read all about how to do it here.
Don’t let the thought of using a yeast dough intimidate you. If I can do it, so can you! It’s the perfect accompaniment to this thick hearty soup! Slather with butter and dip into the soup. NOM-NOM-NOM!
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Equipment
- Slow cooker
- Emersion blender
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried split peas
- 10 cups chicken broth
- 1 ham hock
- 5 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1½ cups chopped carrot
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place ham hock in a 5 quart slow cooker. Combine the split peas, chicken stock, bouillon, carrot, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onion to the slow cooker.
- Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours or on Low for 8-9 hours.
- Remove bay leaves and ham hock. Remove any large pieces of ham and set aside.
- Using an immersion blender, purée soup in the slow cooker to thicken it. You can leave some chunks to give the soup some texture or blend it until it's smooth.
- Taste soup and season with salt if needed. Add pepper.
- Remove any pieces of ham from the bone and return it to the slow cooker. Stir to combine with soup.
- To serve, top each bowl with grated Parmesan cheese.
OH YAH! Soooo good!
There’s nothing better on a cold night than a thick, rich and creamy, steaming bowl of homemade Spit Pea Soup served with freshly baked bread and a little butter.
Is your mouth watering yet? Mine surely is!
Did You Make This?
Be sure to snap a pic and tag it #naturewayblog I love, love, love hearing from my readers! Please, don’t forget to leave a comment and a review below, and be sure to follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, TELEGRAM or TWITTER for all the latest happening here at Nature Way!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? Just click the “like” button down at the very bottom, at the end of the post. It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial to you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe:
When you sign up you’ll never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. I promise to never spam you, ever! Cross my heart. Thank you and God bless!
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35
1 thought on “The Best Ever, Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup”
Comments are closed.