Split Pea Soup

Let me preface this post with saying, SPLIT PEA SOUP IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH WELL! Ok, got that out of my system.

When posting many of the recipes on this blog I refer to the fact that the recipe in question brings back cherished childhood memories. Well, here is another one for the vault. My Dad absolutely LOVED Split Pea Soup. There was a restaurant in California called Andersons (I think it is still there) and they were famous for their Split Pea. If we were taking a vacation that involved driving past an Anderson’s – you could be sure that we would stop there.

I can’t recall if my Mom loved the soup, or not. But my Dad and I sure did. It has become one of those “comfort foods” in my adult life. I will order it on occasion when we are eating out, but I prefer to make a big pot of it at home and enjoy throughout the week. This recipe is for a double batch, so that I could freeze half of it. So, without further adieu - here’s my recipe – hope you like it too.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. dried split peas
1 onion, chopped
1 lb package of baby carrots, cut across in two in three chunks
2 celery hearts, chopped
6 chicken bouillon cubes
Enough water to sufficiently cover the peas and vegetables. Approximately 12 – 13 cups
1 lb package of cubed ham

Directions:

Wash, sort and drain peas. Add them to a large soup pot and cover with water.

Chop the onions, celery and carrots. Add to the soup pot.
Add the chicken bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Simmer for about 1 ½ hours. Add the ham; continue to cook for an additional 1 ½ hours.

Keep a close watch on the soup so that it doesn’t burn, and also to make sure there is sufficient water in the pot. I like my Split Pea Soup to be more like a stew - nice and thick. Adjust the amount of water to your liking.