Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
The world is starting to look like this. At least in my backyard. I'm sure it's spring somewhere. A land called Oz, I think. But from my deck, this is how I see things: in red and oranges. Chilly, too. A front blew in this afternoon. Going down near freezing tonight. Almost time to start my garden clean-up for the year. (And no, that's not brown grass on the ground. Those are leaves. Gobzillions of them. And look how many are yet to fall. There's a price to be paid for living on a very rural set of acres in New England. Besides the snow, I mean.)
About this time of year, Bruce drags out the slow cooker and starts making wonderful, real-food meals on the counter. In the food business, these sorts of meals are called "dump-and-stirs." And they're sometimes disparaged for reasons that escape me--because if I can toss everything in a slow cooker, put the lid on, go off to my work, and come back to a hearty, real-food dinner, I can't imagine anything wrong with the whole thing.
By the way, if you've never had split peas from a slow cooker, you're in for a treat. They don't turn soft and paste-like. They stay almost whole, tender but with a little tooth. It's a revelation, to be honest--more texture with just as much flavor.
This soup is made in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker--and you'll get at least eight servings out of it. That's a lot of food for not much effort. And not much money, to boot.
So here goes. . . .
First, trim two leeks down to their white and pale green parts, then slice these in half lengthwise. Check inside the chambers for grit; rinse it out under cool tap water. Slice the leeks into thin rings. You should end up with about 2 cups, give or take. Put these in a 5 to 6-quart slow cooker.
Now dump in all this: 5 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced; 4 celery ribs, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced; 1 pound split peas; 2 bay leaves; 2 tablespoons minced sage leaves; 1 tablespoon minced thyme leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
To be honest, Bruce asked me to go out and get him some fresh oregano as well, but a nasty red snake was sitting on it in the herb garden. I balked. I'm still a city boy. But if yours is less well guarded, consided adding a tablespoon or so of minced oregano leaves.
Pour in 6 cups water and 1 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth. Want the soup even richer? Use 3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth and 3 cups water instead of only water.
Finally, nestle a 1 1/4 pound smoked ham hock into the slow cooker. Yes, that's one from our pig. Well, OK, still a city boy. Not "our pig." The one our fabulous CSA raised for us last year. (More about them here.) Look at how meaty that thing is. That's what happens when the pigs are not caged and are fed a diet of more than sillage. This one walked around. Even ran around. Ever seen a pig run? It's a sight to behold.
Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
When the soup is done, you'll need to remove the hock, shred the meat off the bone into tiny threads, and stir these back into the soup. Taste it for salt. Although that hock is salty, you might want more, up to a tablespoon. And to brighten the whole thing, stir in the juice of 1 lemon plus several dashes hot red pepper sauce. That's about all there is to it, a dump-and-stir if there ever was one. Darn tasty, to boot. (And look how those split peas have held their shape.)
Mark Scarbrough | Posted on Friday, October 1, 2010 at 3:50PM | in Comfort Food, Main Courses, Soups comfort food, ham hock, leeks, slow cooker, soup, split pea
Reader Comments (7)
Ooooh yes, even though it is spring here in the Land of Oz, this soup would still go down a treat! Bruce is a wizard in the kitchen, shame he doesn't live here. :)
Oh god, split pea soup. I swear, you cannot find a good split pea soup in a can in Canada. (Sorry, guys, I know canned soups probably fall in that barely-food category but there's that omnipresent convenience factor.) Question about this recipe, though. I'm wondering about two misconceptions I think I may have. One, I was under the impression that herbs in a slow cooker are rendered next to useless by the extended cooking time. Two, I'm under the impression that, in particular, *fresh* herbs are going to be rendered useless by extended cooking and they're supposed to be added near the end of the construction of the dish to preserve them somewhat. Not so? Are your amounts over-compensating?
I'm embarrassed to say I have never in my life eaten a split pea. Maybe this should be the next step in my legume rehabilitation process--you've made it sound very tempting.
Nik: I think you've been misinformed about herbs in the slow cooker. That said, you are also right: the amounts are pulled up because of the long cooking time--but also because, for heaven's sake, this batch is pretty large. But the herbs will be fine. Listen, this ain't "haute" cuisine. It's "crock pot cooking." And darn delicious. (I hope you can hear me laughing.)
Roving Friend: Do, do, do rehabilitate. Lord, I love legumes: economical, filling, nutritious, and delicious. (Have a glass of white wine alongside, too.)
M.
Mmmmmm...I love a good bowl of split pea soup. This looks wonderful. I can't wait to try it in a slow cooker, with non-mushy split peas.
I've been fed glop that has been run through a blender and claims to be split pea soup and hated it. This, on the other hand, looks absolutely wonderful. I'll be making this soon! Thanks for the inspiration.
Marci and Suzy: I can't wait to hear the results. It's weirdly lighter than your usual high-fiber soup! And the peas just don't collapse into gummy paste. It's like some new weird thing that you thought you knew but didn't. Quite amazing.
M.