October 23, 2013

Split Pea & Ham Soup

As part of our October mission to cook and share good wholesome soups, a crucial
element in the recipe selection has been the emphasis on our “no added nasties” philosophy.

While planning our third soup for Breast Cancer Awareness month, I was mindful about selecting ham as an ingredient. We consider nitrates “nasties” but there are nitrate free ham products available already in major grocery stores.

I have to confess that it hadn’t occurred to me until developing this recipe that split peas are the very same fresh sweet peas we pluck from the garden in the summer, only the split ones are dried after picking and then they naturally separate. In addition to our own research, these little split peas comfortably find their home in attention grabbing lists online touting “the top10 high fiber foods.”

They weigh in with a healthy dose of vegetable protein, assist the cholesterol lowering* process and require no overnight soaking. A serving of soup makes a substantial contribution to daily soluble fiber intake.

This is a good, simple hearty soup to prepare in a fall kitchen. Serve it in large mugs with crusty rustic bread on Halloween night after the festivities.

Taste the soup after it has cooked and before you season because the ham will already contain some salt.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cooking Time HIGH 4 hours or LOW 7-8 hrs
Servings 6-8

Ingredients

1 large / 1 ½ cups onion, small dice
2 sticks celery, small dice
2 large carrots / 1 ½ cups, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Ib /2 ½ cups green split peas, rinsed
2 cups cooked ham *nitrate free
½ tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
1 qt / 4 cups chicken broth
3 cups water
salt & pepper