The recipe I pulled out of my butt.

OK.  That may not be the best way to start out a recipe post.  Not the most appetizing description in the world.  I do apologize for that.

But it’s not very often that I fabricate a recipe for something I’ve never made it before, and have it be successful.  So I was rather pleased with myself when I pulled this one riiiiight outta my ass on Saturday afternoon!

It was a gloomy, rainy weekend this past weekend, and after a week of craving split pea & ham soup, it was all I could think about on Saturday.  I picked up the ingredients and decided to give it a try  Even though I didn’t have a ham bone or a pork hock.   I read up a couple of different recipes, mashed ‘em all together, and ended up with a thick, hearty, delicious soul-warming soup that was exactly what I had hoped for.

And whaddya know… it’s easy to make on top of it all!

Here’s how to make Jill’s Super-Easy Split Pea & Ham Soup:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 C. of split peas, rinsed

5-6 slices (1/4” thick) of cooked ham, diced into big chunks

1 C. diced red onion

1 C. diced carrot

1 C. diced celery

6-8 C. of chicken broth

2-3 bay leaves

pepper to taste

Directions:

• Melt a little margarine in a large pot, and then throw in the chunks of ham to brown them up a little bit over medium heat (about 10 minutes).  My mom tells me this step was unnecessary, but I thought letting the ham fry up a bit in the pot would add to some of that flavour I’d be missing by not boiling a ham bone in the soup all day.

• Add the split peas, onion, carrots, celery, and bay leaves.  Give them a few good stirs over the course of a few minutes sitting on the heat.

• Then pour in the chicken stock (I ended up using all 8 cups).

• Bring it to a boil, then simmer for an hour over low heat, stirring from time to time.  After an hour, the peas should have broken up into mush.
• Remove the bay leaves, and add your pepper to taste.  Then, if you’re like me and you like your pea soup a little more thick and gloopy, give it a quick whir with the trusty ol’ immersion blender.

Ta da!! Jill’s Super-Easy Split Pea & Ham Soup!

For people who have been making pea soup all their lives, you’re probably thinking I’m a nut bar for even sharing.  But I was a total pea soup newbie, and I was sort of daunted after researching how to make it.  I was really happy to discover it wasn’t as hard or long a process as I thought it might be.  And it was extra-good with some saltines broken up into it.

Of course, I know that “the real thing” is still more flavourful, and a bit more of an endeavour.  But I’ll be quite happy with my shortcut soup recipe in the future! :)