SPLIT PEA SOUP

After the Easter dinner I decided to save the ham bone for our long time favorite split pea soup. You know after such a big meal one doesn't look forward to eating but when you are hungry then you look for some stick to your ribs good food. Well this recipe is just that, down home with all the aromas and taste.  Anyway I'm glad that I froze the bone along with a few ham  slices. I made wheat pasta salad with diced ham as accompaniment to our tasty soup. Nothing fancy just nutritious. I also freeze chicken and turkey bones for making delicious broths.  You can add salt and pepper to your liking. 

 Anyway here is the recipe for the soup.

2 1/2 Cups dried split peas

5 Cups of water

Ham bone with some meat on it (mine was probably 1 pound)   

2 medium size onions quartered

2 cloves of garlic roughly chopped

1 large stalk of celery, ribs removed and chopped

1 large carrot chopped

1 teaspoon dried thyme crushed

1 teaspoon dried mint crushed

1 large bay leaf

Rinse dried peas and set aside. In a large pot combine all ingredients with water including rinsed peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1.5  hours stirring occasionally until peas are soft. Remove the bone and the bay leaf and discard. When cool enoug, using a regular blender or infusion blender blend until silky smooth. Return to pot and boil for an extra 10-15 minutes. Garnish with croutons and diced ham. ( I used left over ham pieces from the bone and crispy tortilla chips instead of bread).  You can freeze the extra soup in the freezer until next time. 

And here is my wheat spiral pasta salad with extra ham pieces and red peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers,  dressed with home made vinaigrette dressing . Enjoy...