I love this recipe! This is my "go to" for pea soups. If you don't want ham in it, simply leave it out and add a little more salt (to taste). Very yummy!ingredients:
1 ham hock or shank*
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
2 carrots, diced
1 stick of celery, finely diced
3 bay leaves
500g dry split peas
1 1/2 litres water
1/4 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. salt (more to taste)
directions:
1. Chop all the ingredients and place in your crock pot.
2. Let cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.
3. Remove ham hock/shank, let cool for apx 10 minutes. Harvest the meat off the hock/shank, set aside.
4. Peas and soup will be very soft and mushy. With a potato masher, mash them to the desired consistency. If you like a very smooth soup, you can use an immersion blender. Add the ham back into the soup.
Serve with a fresh loaf of bread, dinner rolls, crescent rolls, etc.
*Hocks or Shanks are sold in the store where you find the ham! They are very inexpensive (under $3 for 2 hocks or shanks). I have found shanks are meatier.
*Shanks/Hocks can be found where you buy ham--there's usually a special ham case near the meat department. Shanks/Hocks are very affordable $2-$3 for two! I've found ham shanks have more meat than hocks do. If you don't want to use a shank/hock, or if you like even more ham, add a small bag of the pre-diced ham you can buy in the deli or ham section of the store. Yum!
