Video:How to Make Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

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Transcript:How to Make Slow-Cooker Split Pea Soup

Hi, I'm Stephanie Gallagher for About.com, and today, we're making a Crock Pot split pea soup recipe from our Southern Food site.

For This Split Pea Soup Recipe, You'll Need:

• 16 oz. dried green split peas, rinsed
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 2 ham hocks or 2 cups diced ham
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs of celery, plus leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley - I'm probably using more like 1/2 cup here, but a little extra won't hurt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbsp. kosher salt and
• 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

Place the rinsed split peas in the slow cooker. Add the ham bone and remaining ingredients. Now add 6 cups of water. Cover, and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. When the peas are very soft and the ham is falling off the bone, the soup is ready. 

Blend a Portion of the Split Pea Soup for a Smoother Texture

Now you can eat the soup like this, but I prefer to give it a smoother texture. So I let it cool a bit and remove the ham and ham bones. And ladle about three-quarters of the soup into a blender. You want to remove the bay leaf when you come across it. Now cover the blender, and if the soup is still hot, put a towel on top, too, to keep your hands from getting steam burns, and puree the soup until it's fairly smooth. It can still be a little chunky, but this gifts it a wonderfully thick texture.

Shred the Ham and Add It Back to the Soup Before Serving

Now pour the pureed soup back into the remaining split pea soup in the Crockpot, and stir. Shred the ham and add it to the soup, and serve the split pea soup with croutons. Thanks for watching. For more great recipes just like this one, join us on the web at About.com.