Slow Cooker Creamy Split Pea and Ham Soup


Y
ou're going to LOVE this recipe for split pea soup because it is so easy to make. You can put all the ingredients in the slow cooker for six to eight hours and when you return all you have left to do is remove the bones from the ham hock, discard the bay leaves, and run half of the soup through the blender to make it creamy.

Did you know that a small cup of split peas can provide 65% of your daily fiber, are rich in protein, and contain Thiamin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, and Potassium? Ham is good source of selenium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin B6, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, 
niacin, and choline as well.

This soup is creamy without the addition of any cream or other dairy products because it is blended at the end. For those who are gluten free or lactose intolerant, you are in luck! For those who are vegetarians, you can easily make this without the ham. The ham hock adds a smoky flavor to it, but you can replicate this by using just a tiny bit of liquid smoke if you like. Split pea and ham is the perfect soup for a rainy spring day or week like we are having in Washington. Enjoy!

For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 -16 oz.pkg green split peas - rinsed
1 large onion - chopped
3 large carrots-chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
2 bay leaves
2-32 oz containers chicken stock
1 large ham hock or 3/4-1 cup of leftover ham
1 -1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
1/2-1 tsp tsp paprika (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tsp sugar (adjust to taste)

Directions:

In a large slow cooker, add all of the ingredients and set on high for six to eight hours.

Remove ham hock bones and bay leaves and pour half of the soup into an immersion blender (or regular blender) and blend until thick.



Return thickened mixture to slow cooker and mix with remaining soup. If you prefer a thicker soup, you can add all of the soup to blender in two parts. If you prefer a thinner soup, you can add warm chicken broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until you reach desired consistency.



Makes approximately 12-1 cup servings. Serve with croutons for a boost of flavor!