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Split pea soup with sage sausage

Slow Cooker Split Pea and Sage Sausage Soup

This slow cooker (crockpot) split pea soup made with sage sausage and vegetables tastes deliciously rustic and is easy to make.
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Yield: 5 Servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6 hours 15 minutes
Total: 6 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 1/2 of a 16 ounce-package sage breakfast sausage (can also use regular or hot pork sausage) for the soup (as an ingredient); when cooked equals about 1 heaping cup of sausage
  • 1 pound dried green split peas rinsed well, sorted and examined for dirt, rocks and bad peas
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped onion white or yellow onion
  • 4 medium size cloves garlic peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 medium size bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or add to taste after cooking
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 whole lemon juiced
  • 1 container (32 ounces) chicken broth
  • 2 cups water or more water if needed after cooking
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley (curly parsley)

For Garnish:

  • 1/4 of a 16-ounce package cooked and crumbled sage breakfast sausage for garnish; when cooked this equals about 1/2 cup (heaping) sausage
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley (curly parsley)

Equipment

  • 5-quart (or larger) slow cooker (crockpot)

Instructions

PREPARATION

    Sage Sausage:

    • Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add the sage sausage. With a heat proof spatula, break up the sausage into small pieces.
    • Stir as the sausage cooks. Continue cooking until the sausage is thoroughly cooked and browned. Transfer the cooked sausage onto a paper-towel lined plate.
    • Cook a total of 3/4's of the package of sage sausage. 
      This should equal about 1 heaping cup of cooked sausage that goes into the soup, and 1/2 heaping cup of cooked sausage to use as garnish.
      Transfer 1/2 heaping cup (for the garnish) into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to use later as garnish.
      Cover the remaining cooked sausage (about 1 heaping cup) with a paper towel and set aside.

    Garlic and Vegetables:

    • Chop the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Set aside.

    Split Peas:

    • Rinse the dried split peas in a colander. Sort and examine the peas for dirt, rocks and bad peas.

    FOR THE SOUP

      Ingredients in the Pot:

      • In the slow cooker pot, add cooked sage sausage, rinsed dried green split peas, garlic, carrots, celery, onion, dried thyme, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.
      • Add water, chicken broth, fresh lemon juice and stir. Add chopped parsley and stir.

      COOK

      • Cover the slow cooker pot with a lid and cook on the low setting for 6 hours.
      • Right after the soup is done cooking, remove and discard the bay leaf.
        If the soup is too thick, add more water a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
      • Cool down a small sample-size amount of the soup and do a taste test. Add more salt if needed.

      GARNISH AND SERVE

      • For just a few seconds in the microwave, warm up the reserved cooked sage sausage (that was stored in the refrigerator).
      • Serve the soup warm and top with small pieces of cooked sage sausage and chopped parsley.

      Notes

      TIPS:

      1. Use sage sausage that already has the sage mixed in the sausage (rather than mixing sage in the sausage yourself).
      2. The sage sausage has a fairly strong flavor so only 3/4's of the package is used (1/2 of the package for the soup ingredients, and 1/4 of the package for garnish).
      3. About 1/4 of the package of sage sausage is leftover and not used in the recipe.
      4. If the soup is too thick after it's done cooking, add more water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
      Author: Nancy@CouponClippingCook
      Course: Main Course, Soup
      Cuisine: American
      Keyword: Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Soup, Split Pea and Sausage Soup, Split Pea Soup