Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Mmmmmm, I'm still loving soup. I'm dreaming of Spring and warm weather but for now I'll cuddle under my favorite electric throw and smell anything hot coming from the crockpot. I was one of those odd kids that loved my vegetables. I still do and am trying to pass that love to my kids. For the most part they do pretty well but I can't convince them to like brussell sprouts or green peppers. I don't have to lie about onions anymore, they'll eat those as long as they're cooked. I think that's a huge success. Right? We used to tell them they were Chinese noodles. It worked. (I'm not endorsing lying to your children.) Ha ha!

Anyway, I was a bit worried when I put a bowl of green mush in front of them. They didn't make any faces or even ask, "What's this?" I just hurriedly said, "it's pea soup!" when I really didn't need to. They weren't worried and even ate it up. I love that.

So if you need a simple crockpot recipe to get you through these cold winter days. Try this one. We enjoyed it.

I apologize for the mediocre pic. It's hard to photograph a green soup! So not eye appealing.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
1 lb. green split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 large leek, white and light green part only, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 teas. salt
1/2 teas. pepper
2 teas. dried parsley
2 teas. dried thyme
1 large ham steak (or ham bone with left over pieces or a smoked turkey leg)
(I also sprinkled in some granulated chicken bouillon with an hour or two to go, approx. 2-3 teas. Only add this if you think you need it. It really depends on how much salt you added and how salty your meat is.)

What I love about soups is the fact that you can change it up however you like. The original recipe used the smoked turkey leg and fresh herbs but I didn't have either of those. So I used dried herbs and a ham steak. As far as the seasonings go, I kinda guessed how much I added, I didn't measure. So, add to your taste. That's my disclaimer. :)

Throw in your crockpot the peas, leek, celery, carrots, ham, and seasonings. Add 7 cups of water. Turn your crockpot on low and cook for 6-8 hours stirring occasionally. ( Cooking time really depends on how soft you want your peas.) Serve with a crusty bread and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy!!

I just wanted to note that the recipe posted yesterday was Erica's. I just added the note on top. Also, I've seen more pictures of the baby and I'm thinking his hair does have a reddish tint, but it is definitely more brown than I imagined. I'm still crossing my fingers for a dark headed boy. Nothing against red heads. :) Pictures to come!

Source: Adapted from The Food Network