pea soup with ham

After Christmas dinner we were left with far too many leftovers, especially ham. You can reserve the ham hock from dinner for the soup, but if you already threw it away, no will notice it's missing from the flavors. Split pea soup is naturally thick and deep in flavors, and as long as you splash a bunch of ham bits in you'll still get a nice hammy flavor. This soup is made over the course of 2 hours, expanding the flavors as it goes. Although is is thick and filling, the soup is also healthy as it is only thickened with chicken stock and water.

Ingredients:
2 tbs canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp oregano
2 carrots, chopped
2 tbs onion powder
1 tbs salt
1 tbs pepper
1 lb chopped ham
1 lb dried split green peas
6 cups chicken stock, divided
6 cups water, divided

Directions:
1. Add the canola oil, minced garlic, and oregano to a large pot (non-stick if available) over medium heat. Stir until fragrant and browned, about 3-4 minutes.   

2. Add chopped carrots, onion powder, salt & pepper. Stir to coat and cook together for another 4 minutes.
 

3. Add ham and dried split peas, stir.
 

 

4. Add 4 cups of water and 4 cups of chicken stock to cover, stir.

 

5. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. After 45 minutes, add remaining 2 cups each of water and chicken stock. Return to a simmer for another 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to smooth any clumps that may appear.
 

 

6. Stir until desired thickness, when all peas are smushed, and serve when warm.
 

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