Ingredients
The following ingredients have 10 Servings
- 2 cups green split peas (rinsed and picked over)
- One (1 1/2-pound) smoked ham hock
- 2 small onions (finely chopped)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 2 medium celery stalks (diced)
- 2 to 4 small garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
- 2 bay leaves
- Lots of freshly ground pepper
- 8 cups cold water
- Leaves from 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs (minced)
- 1 cup frozen green peas (thawed)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (such as rice wine or sherry or apple cider or even plain old distilled vinegar, plus more to taste)
- Sea salt (to taste)
Instruction
- Dump the split peas in your slow cooker and nestle the ham hock into the split peas. Pile in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and then tuck in the bay leaves. Season with pepper and pour the water over the top.
- Set your slow cooker to low and walk away for about 10 hours. When the soup is done, it will be thick and creamy and the split peas should be soft and broken down. If the split peas still seem pretty firm, crank your slow cooker to high and check it every hour or so until the peas soften.
- Fish out the bay leaves and discard them. Remove the ham hock and place it on a plate until it’s cool enough to handle. Discard the skin, bones, and any cartilage. Shred the ham.
- If desired, use an immersion blender to purée the soup to the desired consistency. Stir in the shredded ham, thyme, frozen peas, and vinegar. Continue to cook on low until the frozen peas are heated through, about 15 minutes. Taste and add up to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty your ham hock. (Don’t be shy with the salt. It really brings out the flavor of the soup. Trust us.)
- Ladle the soup into bowls right away or let it cool and cover and refrigerate it for up to several days and be amazed at how much richer the soup tastes after the flavors have a chance to meld. (Alternately, you can portion the soup into individual resealable plastic bags or containers and toss them in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
