Recipes Cooking

This aint yo Mommas  Split Pea and Ham Soup...

Servings: (8 to 10)
Prep: 10 mins.
Cook: Appx. 2 hrs.

INGREDIENTS

-1 (16 oz. pkg.) dried green split peas
-4 cups water
-4 to 6 cups loww-sodium chicken broth
-1 tablespoon cider vinegar
-2 heaping teaspoons brown sugar
-2 cups cooked ham, cubed
--(or 2 *smoked ham hocks, or *ham bone with meat on it, or a ring of smoked sausage)
-1 lg. carrot, scrubbed, and chopped
-2 ribs celery, chopped
-½ yellow onion, diced
-1 russet potato (or sweet potato), peeled and chopped
-1 large garlic clove, minced
-1 bay leaf
-1/8 teaspoon each: dried oregano, basil, and thyme
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
--(I do not add any salt due to the saltiness of the ham)
-Dash of hot sauce

METHOD

Spread the dried split peas out on a baking sheet and pick through them; toss any unwanted matter, then rinse in a colander.

In a large dutch oven (or heavy-bottom soup pot), bring split peas, water, broth, cider vinegar, and brown sugar to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 1-1/2 hours; stirring occasionally.

Add remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove bay leaf, and toss. Taste for seasoning, and add more broth or water if a thinner consistency is desired.

Serve with hot rolls or slices of French bread. - Enjoy!

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*Tip: If using smoked ham hocks or ham bone with meat on it, add at the beginning of the cooking process, and remove after 1-1/2 hours to pull meat from hocks or bone, cube, and return to pot when adding vegetables.

Heres a recipe inspired by Bardstown, KY Bourbon Festival.

1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 carrots, cut in rounds
1/2 cup green split peas
1/2 cup red lentils (or yellow split peas)
2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (or dried)
1 tsp crushed red pepper/ pepper flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika or red chili powder
salt
2 tbsp olive oil or butter
6 cups of vegetable stock or beef broth or just water
and THE most important ingredient 1/2 cup bourbon

If you will use a pressure cooker, you dont need to precook anything, but if youll use a regular pot, boil peas and lentils for an hour or soak in water overnight.

-Heat the oil in a big pot and add onion, garlic, and pepper. Stir until onions are cooked
-Add carrots and 1 tsp rosemary, and cook for 4-5 minutes
-Add paprika and stir for a minute
-Put in split peas, lentils, bourbon, water, black pepper, crushed pepper, and salt
-With pressure cooker: Cook first on high then low heat for 20 minutes
With a regular pot, cook for 45 minutes on medium heat
-I used a hand blender to smoothen the soup and garnished it with the rest of the rosemary. If you want to have it chunky, you may want to cut everything in smaller pieces, especially the carrots.



























I used "Old Bardstown" 10 year old 101 proof bourbon, since the recipe was inspired by Bardstown; however, Im sure itll be good with any bourbon, especially with "Makers Mark".
Cheers!