I use all the same stuff as well as a couple cloves of garlic. Basically follow the recipe on the bag of split peas. I especially like celery leaves in the soup as well as chunks of celery. I also use plain water instead of chicken broth. It doesn't really need to cook all day; two or three hours is enough. Your ham bone will work perfectly well. Pea soup is my favorite. It also freezes really well.

Thanks Fran! Yes garlic! It makes everything just a little bit better to me! Do you do the soak over night thing? I was thinking of doing the bring to boil and boil 5-10 minutes and let soak for an hour. But I might just do the over night soak.

Deb

I've never soaked split peas. Just toss everything in pot and cook according to package directions.

I usually rinse the split peas, using green and yellow mixed, and put them in the water that I have boiled the hambone in along with celery, onions and any spices. When the peas are tender, I puree with a braun hand held blender. Then I grate a couple of carrots finely and put in along with any ham that was left on the hambone as it was cooking. Don't forget to stir often because pea soup will stick and scorch. Salt and pepper to taste when serving.

Here is the Original Pea Soup from Andersen's restaurant near Santa Nella, CA. Been there for years and well known for its soup.
2 quarts of soft water
2 cups of Andersen's specially selected green split peas
1 stalk of celery, coarsely chipped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf, ground
salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a big pot. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 20 minutes, then simmer until peas are tender. Strain through a fine sieve and then reheat to a boiling point.

Recipe serves 6-8 bowls of Andersen's split pea soup
But in that is not enough, the cookbook from Andersen's does tell you how to make 850 bowls.

Our family has had this soup at the restaurant many many times. So good!!!!!

I've just used water to boil the ham bone. (Skim the 'slime' off the top before adding the peas.) I like celery leaves in with the onion, etc. but fish them out later.

Yes, keep a low heat and stir to prevent sticking/scorching. (I have ruined a batch by scorching. I've also 'saved' a slightly scorched batch that everyone loved 'for the smokey flavor'. Ha Ha.)

Don't add salt until it's done; some hams have plenty of salt.

Some of the seasonings I like to use in pea soup are a bit of thyme, a bay leaf, pepper, and garlic. A bit of catsup is a good addition. Follow the recipe on the bag the first time you make it, and just add to your own liking. For example, I add more carrots, onions, and celery because that's how I like it.

No immersion blender for me...I use a potato masher to smush things up. I like it a little lumpy.

This is a good soup as a total vegetarian version, too.

Thanks everyone! Took my bag of peas out of the pantry and it doesn't have a recipe on it! So I know I will be carefully reading this post tomorrow again before I put the peas on. I think I would like it lumpy too!

Deb

I use smoke ham hocks....so much flavor. Bring it to a boil then dump the peas right in. If i need to add liquid i add ch
icken stock . I let it cook a few hours...divine.

Split Pea Soup

1 1lb. peas
1-2 ham hocks or a ham bone
3 T. butter
1 C. finely chopped onion
1 C. finely chopped carrot
1/2 C. finely chopped celery
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 lb. ham, diced
salt to taste*- 3/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
5 - 7 C water*
chicken bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
2 tsp. thyme

Put peas and ham bone in pot and cover with 3 - 5 C water. Simmer 1 -2
hours. Remove ham bone and puree peas. Cook onions in 2 T. butter until soft...2-3 min. Add carrots and celery. Cook another 3-4 min. Ad garlic and stir 1 min. Put in pot with peas. Saute' ham and add to pot Add remaining water, spices and bouillon.

*Be careful with water. Start with smaller amount and add as needed for desired consistency.
*salt depends on how salty the ham is.

I saute the onions, celery and carrot and garlic in s little good olive oil before adding to the soup.

It is hard to go wrong with split pea soup. I prefer using a ham bone, but if I don't have any, I do use a couple of ham hock chunks. The ham bone usually has some nice bits still clinging to the bone, and I shred them and add to the soup when it is done and has been pureed. I add carrots, onion, celery and usually any odds and ends in the refrigerator such as left over green beans, broccoli, squash, a potato or two. I use water to make the soup and add salt, pepper, a bay leaf and maybe a dash of nutmeg and a dash of Worchestershire sauce. After 2 or 3 hours or so, I remove the bone, bay leaf and any meat and whirl it in the blender or use the blender wand. Then I shred any meat morsels and return them to the pot. It is always tasty, no matter what odds and ends I throw in.

I always add a chopped up potato besides the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and spices.

I always add a potato and a carrot along with a bayleaf and some celery.

I always add a potato and a carrot along with a bayleaf and some celery.

Split Pea Soup:

When I was a little tyke, I envisioned little elves in the back of the cupboard busily splitting the peas. Who else was going to do it?

We prefer a smoked ham hock, slow cooked with thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Add some carrots and celery and the peas. At the end I throw in a couple red potatoes. Some made from scratch chicken stock if things are too thick. When I serve I add a teaspoon of a good balsamic vinegar and a tablespoon of finely diced red onion.
The balsamic gives the soup a really deep flavor.

sorry about the double post, my system is not working too good today. Having all sorts of problems when I'm here at the table.

I have it all in the crock pot and it smells so good! I am amazed and thrilled. I always enjoyed split pea soup but never did think about making it until recently. And it freezes well? You just put it in freezer bags and freeze? I have my 6 quart crock pot full of it and I know David and I can not eat that much at one sitting, LOL.

Deb

Never thought of making it....just the thought of splitting a bunch of little peas (with a paring knife, maybe?) is too much work for me :)

Oh, I forgot to mention that this is the perfect perfect soup for homemade pumpernickle croutons. Yum!