Hands down my favorite kind of soup is split pea!  Growing up it was such a treat when my mom would make a pot of split pea soup with big chunks of ring sausage. You could smell it simmering on the stove for hours in anticipation of dinner.

So of course I make it for my family now. But I generally do not have time to monitor a pot of soup for hours.

I make my split pea soup in the crockpot. It really doesn’t get any easier. Add peas. Add broth. Add meat. Add seasoning. Dinner is ready. It only takes about five minutes to get it going. It’s so easy my three year old can pretty much prepare it for me!

What we add to the pea soup just depends what we have on hand. Sometimes I make it pure pea soup – peas, broth, salt. Sometimes I add diced ham, ring bologna or diced carrots. It would even be good with cooked sausage or leftover roasted chicken.

For the batch I photographed I used large chunks of ring bologna as a nod to how my mom made it growing up. I would eat the soup and save the sausage for the end. It was fun. But if you have small children it is easier to cut up the meat into smaller pieces.

You can make split pea soup as thin or as thick as you like. I prefer mine thicker.

One of the best parts about this soup is how much my kids love it.  I was going to take a picture of my son eating it, but he finished his bowl before I could get the camera. He just shoveled it in barely taking a breath between bites.

This is even an easy soup for very young children to eat. You can thin it out with extra broth and leave out the meat chunks for little ones.

Split pea soup is very allergen-friendly. So it’s great for people with all types of dietary needs. It also freezes well.

I believe split pea soup is a Dutch soup. Maybe that’s why my grandma and my mom always made it. And maybe that’s why my family and I love it so much!

This is also a very budget friendly soup.  Make broth from chicken bones and add some dried split peas. You’ll feed the whole family for a few dollars.

Note that split peas are similar to beans. They are not like sweet peas. So if you don’t tolerate beans you should only try a small amount of split pea soup to see if you can handle it. It can be gassy like beans. I learned that quickly as a nursing mom. My little one doesn’t appreciate me eating too much pea soup.

This really is the most delicious and easiest to prepare soup I make. The whole family loves it, and it’s full of vegetables and broth. It doesn’t get much better.  I even love to eat the leftovers for breakfast. Leftovers never last long here. My daughter loves it in her lunch too.

As with other soups that I make I like to add a little coconut oil or butter to individual bowls to balance it with healthy fat. Then I pair it with muffins or bread. Dinner has never been easier or tastier.

Simple Soup Series: Split Pea Soup

2014-11-09 05:39:03

Serves 6

A simple, nourishing split pea soup.

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Ingredients

1. 1 lb. dried split peas (green or yellow)
2. 6 cups chicken broth (you can substitute water if you don't have broth)
3. 2 cups any meat of choice (cubed ham, sliced ring bologna, cooked sausage, cooked chicken)
4. 2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)
5. 2 tsp. garlic powder (to taste)

Instructions

1. Rinse the split peas in a strainer.
2. Put the split peas in the crockpot.
3. Add the broth, meat and seasoning.
4. Cover and cook on high 6-8 hours or low 7-12 hours, until the peas are fully cooked and the soup reaches desired thickness.
5. Stir the soup every 3-4 hours if possible to make sure there is enough liquid. Add mor if necessary.

Notes

1. You can make the soup thinner by adding extra broth or water.
2. This soup freezes well.
3. It is helpful to add a little water or broth when reheating pea soup.
4. You can make this soup in a pot. Simmer 2-4 hours, until peas are cooked and soup thickens. Stir it periodically.

By Mary - homemadedutchapplepie.com

Just Take A Bite https://justtakeabite.com/