I was trying to locate an excellent recipe for this soup and this is just what I was looking for.
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients:
* 1 ham bone with a chunk of ham attached
* 4 cups of split peas
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* filtered water
* 1 onion, chopped (or 2 Tablespoons dried onion flakes)
* 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
* 2 carrots cut in half circles
* 2 stalks celery chopped
* 2 Tablespoons butter or ghee
* 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Preparation:
1. Cover the split peas with water and add the baking soda, stir to dissolve. Soak the split peas for at least 7 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain the split peas and rinse them thoroughly.
2. A couple hours before the split peas will be ready (completely soaked), take a 7 quart cast iron dutch oven or stock pot, add the ham bone and cover with filtered water. Simmer and make the ‘stock’ prior to the lentils being ready. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.
3. Once the ham bone has cooked in the water for a couple hours, take out the bone and cut off any ham chunks that you can get off. Let them cool then cut the ham into bite sized pieces. Reserve in a bowl to be added to the finished soup later.
4. Once lentils are drained and rinsed and stocked has been skimmed at least once and the ham bone has the ham cut off, add the split peas to the pot with the ham bone. Let cook for at least 4 hours, or until all of the split peas are completely dissolved and the soup is smooth.
5. For the lazy and easy method of finishing the soup. Remove ham bone, add dried onion flakes, garlic powder and Tabasco (if using). Stir in reserved ham pieces. Let the ham warm up a few minutes, and the soup is ready to serve.
6. For the fresh veggie harder method of finishing the soup. In a separate cast iron skillet saute the onions, carrots and celery in the butter or ghee until soft. Remove ham bone from the pot. Add the vegetables, the reserved ham pieces, and the Tabasco sauce, if using. Let the soup warm up a few minutes, and the soup is ready to serve.