Slow Cooker Split Pea and Ham Soup
You won't believe how easy it is to have seconds when eating this hearty split pea and ham soup with smoked gouda cheese.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1 pound dried green split peas rinsed well (and sorted/examined for dirt, rocks or bad peas)
- 2 cups chopped or small pulled (shredded) pieces of cooked ham
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 container (32 ounces) chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Crispy Ham Topping:
- 1 cup chopped (in small pieces) cooked ham
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Topping and Garnish:
- 1/2 cup finely shredded smoked gouda cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Equipment
- 5 quart slow cooker (crockpot) or larger
Instructions
For the Soup:
- In a slow cooker pot, add dried green split peas, pieces of cooked ham, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, salt and pepper, lemon juice, chicken broth, water and stir.
- Cover with a lid and cook on the low setting for 6 hours. Right after the soup is done cooking, remove and discard the bay leaves and stir in the parsley.
For the Crispy Ham Topping (made while the soup is cooking):
- Heat a small skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.
- To the pan, add small pieces of chopped ham and stir. Sauté until the edges of the ham start to crisp. Remove from the heat and transfer to a storage container.
- Store in the refrigerator until the soup is ready to serve.
Serving the Soup:
- Slightly warm up the crispy ham in the microwave, just enough to take the chill off (about 5 seconds).
- Serve warm and top with finely shredded smoked gouda, pieces of crispy ham and garnish with parsley.