Name: Split Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry split peas
• 1 ham hock
• 1 lb ham, chopped
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 cup liquid (broth from ham hock and water combined)
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon dry thyme

Instructions:

• Soak peas for 8 hours if necessary or follow directions on the pea bag: sort, rinse, cover with 6 cups of water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Simmer ham hock for 1 hour in 8 cups water.
• When done, save the hock and broth, and cut the meat from the hock.
• Sauté onion in butter for 3 min.
• Add celery and carrots and sauté for 2 more min.
• Add garlic and sauté for 30 sec.
• Add the chopped ham and the useable parts of the hock.
• Cook until browning begins
• Add the rinsed peas, salt pepper and crushed pepper flakes.
• Cook for several minutes with stirring.
• Add reserved broth from hocks and water to total 8 cups of liquid.
• Add bay leaf and thyme
• Simmer until peas are tender- 20-30 min
• Discard bay leaf
• Serve with warm pita or naan bread

Comments: 1/11/2017 - I prepared the peas as recommended on the bag, simmering for 45 minutes made them very soft. I used 1 teaspoon of salt substitute and microwaved the onion for a minute before sautéing it.

Source: Bill Burke, who got it from celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse

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