Split Pea and Ham Soup

 I'll be honest:  Split pea soup is one of those things I just don't think about often.  I've had it before, I liked it...but do I crave it? Um, not a lot.

But I'll tell you why I made it recently - it's the season of "what the heck do I do with all this ham"! I don't know about anyone else, but I get bored eating the same thing every day.  The conundrum is that I also dislike wasting food.  So my challenge this week was how I could use up allll the Easter ham!

This is meal #1 of who knows how many recipes incorporating ham this week.

I was a little unsure how this would be received by my kids (the four-year-old, especially, as he tends to refuse anything "green"); surprisingly, my son kept asking for this.  As for me?  Well, it's been getting into the 70s here in Ohio, so at this very moment, I wouldn't say this is at the very top of my "must eat" list.  BUT - it is a very good soup for colder months, and I'm glad I made this as I froze half for when I will crave it:)

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP

(Total time: 3 hours)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. (about two cups) dry green split peas
• 7 cups of water
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups fully cooked chopped ham
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup peeled diced potatoes
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• chopped parsley (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a pot, bring peas, water, oil and salt to a boil. 
2. Reduce to simmer and cover for 2 hours, stirring occasionally
3. Add the next 7 ingredients; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serves 6-8

Notes:

-This takes close to 3 hours to make.

- Since the soup thickens easily, I add a little water when re-heating.