You Can’t Go Wrong with a Bowl of Homemade Soup
Nothing quite hits the spot on a chilly or rainy day like a bowl of hot, homemade soup. But even without plummeting temperatures and cloud cover, it’s great comfort food. When you make soup in the Crock-Pot, that’s all the better— it will be waiting for you when you get home. This split pea soup recipe will have your mouth watering as soon as you open the door to the aroma.
Total Time: Up to 10 hours / Prep Time: 20 minutes / Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients:
- 2 medium onions, finely chopped
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 1 rib celery cut into thin slices
- 1 medium potato, peeled and diced
- 12-ounce package green split peas
- 12 ounces lager beer
- 6 cups water
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 teaspoons ground mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ham bone with ample meat
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1/2 pound cooked mild pork sausage
- 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients except the ham bone, vinegar, sausage and green onions. Pour into the Crock-Pot, and then place the ham bone on top.
- Cover the Crock-Pot and set it to low. Cook for eight to 10 hours, until the peas are tender.
- Remove the ham bone from the Crock-Pot and pull off the meat, shredding it. Discard any fat.
- Add the vinegar to the soup in the Crock-Pot and stir well.
- Return the shredded ham to the Crock-Pot and add the sausage. Stir well.
- Serve the soup with green onion slices sprinkled on top.
Tip
The beer’s alcohol content will cook off, so it will be safe for your kids. If you’d rather skip it, you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth.
If you want to feed your family sooner than this eight- to 10-hour cooking time, set the Crock-Pot on high for six to seven hours instead.
You can prepare the soup halfway through Step 1 the night before if you’re pressed for time in the morning. Don’t add the beer, water or ham bone, combine everything else in the Crock-Pot’s stoneware insert, cover it and place it in the fridge overnight. Add the beer and the water in the morning, stir well, and add the ham bone. Place the insert in the Crock-Pot, turn it on and dinner will be waiting for you when you get home.
If you don’t happen to have a ham bone, you can use 3/4 pound of cubed cooked ham or 2 pounds of ham shanks or hocks. Using a bone is best, because it adds richness and flavor.
References
Writer Bio
Beverly Bird has been writing professionally since 1983. She is the author of several novels including the bestselling "Comes the Rain" and "With Every Breath." Bird also has extensive experience as a paralegal, primarily in the areas of divorce and family law, bankruptcy and estate law. She covers many legal topics in her articles.