green split pea soup

The recipe works fine with about any cut of pork, ham bones, ham hocks, etcetera. A ham bone from a honey ham won't work, the honey taste perverts the savory split pea soup taste. If using pork which still has a lot of fat attached to it I'd highly recommend removing the large pieces of fat before boil. Too much fat in the soup tastes bad.

• 1 sack green split peas

• 1/2 to 3/4 yellow onion

• 4 cloves garlic

• 4 carrots

• 5 stalks celery

• 1 package uncooked ham hocks or leftover ham bone

• 6 C chicken broth

• 1/8 tsp sage

• 1/4 tsp thyme

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/8 tsp pepper

• 3 bay leaves

1. Rinse out the package of green split peas. Put them in a pot with the chicken broth. Now, the different brands of split peas have different quantities of peas in a package. The rule for making split peas is 1 cup of peas to three cups of fluid. If it doesn't match exactly, adjust the chicken broth to match the peas at a three to one ratio. Turn the heat on to medium-high and bring the water to a rolling boil.

2. Reduce the heat to medium-low and put a lid on the pot. Simmer the green split peas for an hour, stirring occasionally. While the soup is simmering, chop up the celery, carrots, and onion. Mince the garlic. Right now the peas are disintegrating.

3. After an hour add the ham hocks, spices, and garlic to the split peas. Bring the heat back up to medium-high. Let the soup be at a rolling boil for 2 minutes, then turn the heat back down to medium-low, put the lid on, and simmer for a half hour, stirring occasionally.

4. After a half hour add in the vegetables. Bring the heat up to medium-high again, and have the soup at a rolling boil for 2 minutes. Then turn the heat down again to medium-low and put the lid on for a simmer. You'll simmer the soup for around a half hour. It depends on how well cooked you like your vegetables and how large you chop them.

5. While you are doing the vegetable simmer, pull the ham hocks out of the soup. Let them cool a little. Then slice all the good meat off the bones. Toss the good meat and bones back in the pot. If the consistency is too thick for you add some water. If the soup is too thin add some rice if desired. When the soup cools, it will thicken further.

6. After the half hour to hour vegetable simmer turn off the heat. If you've added rice make sure the rice is done. Check the taste. Add more salt, pepper, and chicken broth to taste as desired. The chicken broth adds salt taste.

Note: Lately for most of my soups I've been tossing the meat and vegetables in simultaneously, and usually letting it cook until the veggies are done. Much shorter cook time that way.

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