Yesterday’s Crock-Pot cooking!!! I like to cook large batches of “winter soups”…have one dinner on the day of preparing it…and freeze the rest in 3 cups measure in quart-size freezer bags, or in plastic containers…I line them up in an old Tupperware container and freeze them for days when I do not have time to cook dinner or am too busy baking pastries…I serve this split-pea soup with a dab of sour cream. Oh, and, my split-pea soup is cooked to where the peas are cooked but still have a little crunch in it….
I do not have a recipe for this soup…but will give a description of how I make it.
I had a ham-hock that I cooked in water for a couple of hours the day before. it is not necessary to stir it. After 2 hours I just left the lid on and left it on the stove over night. Having not stirred it or touched it …it stayed sterile on the stove without having had to refrigerate it.
Next day……I used two bags of dried split-peas, looked through them for little stone and other debris, then rinsed them 3 times with cold water and added them to the Crock-pot. Having removed the fat off the cooked ham-hock and added it with the broth to the split peas I continued adding the following:
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup of sauteed onion and garlic
1 cup of cubed ham
fresh Thyme
Bay Leaf
Sage
You can add cubed carrots as well
For the liquid I like to use home made chicken broth, and enhance the flavor with a Chicken Paste. There has to be enough liquid in the pot to allow the peas to absorb it,therefore, while it simmers in the slow cooker keep checking if the there is enough liquid, keep adding a cup or two of water until the peas are completely cooked.
If your soup is too liquid you can add a little corn starch to bind it all together….(1 Tbsp of corn starch + 1/2 cup of water ) add that mixture to the soup and keep stirring until the soup thickens.
At the end taste the soup and finish it up with McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning, or any other spices you prefer.
I like to add a Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar + 1 Tbsp sugar and some salt to your preferred taste.
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Maja’s Kitchen LLC
Maria Reisz Springer
Member of
International Association of Culinary Professionals
Member of the International Wine and Food Society
Since my husband bought a crockpot from Marden’s I’m an ardent user, too. It’s so utterly convenient and, like you, I freeze several portions for non-cooking days. I love all legumes and Erbsensuppe is one of my favorites.