Spicy Split Pea Soup

Spicy Split Pea Soup

Spicy Split Pea Soup is a robust, flavorful, meaty full meal soup with a Southwestern flair and some moderate heat. A new take on a classic.

Spicy Split Pea Soup is a throwback to the good ole days of childhood when my mom would make a big pot on a winter day – but this version has some heat and a subtle Southwestern flavor. I happened to have a big ole meaty ham bone, so I absolutely had to make this soup!

I like to cook this kind of soup a long, long time as it keeps leeching more flavor out of the marrow of the ham bone. Cooking it long makes it thicker and more flavorful. You can always add more water or chicken broth to adjust the taste.

In the picture you can see I served it with cheese quesadillas; they’re always good as a side with just about any soup. I also packed the rest of the soup up and froze it. It freezes really well and is great to have around for a quick meal. Hope you like this one!

Spicy Split Pea Soup
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Soups & Chilis
Cuisine: Southwestern
Serves: 10 servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup diced carrot
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • ¼ tsp salt + additional to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper + additional to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed and sorted
  • 1 meaty ham bone
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups diced ham
  • 1 cup diced medium hot green chile
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
  1. In inner slow cooker pot or skillet, melt butter. Add onion, carrot, celery, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened and just beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic.
  2. Transfer into slow cooker, and stir in split peas. Add ham bone, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir in chicken stock and water.
  3. Cook on low for 6 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally, until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. (Long slow cooking pulls the maximum flavor from the ham bone.)
  4. Remove ham bone and add diced ham, green chiles, and cumin.
  5. Remove meat attached to the bone and dice, removing fat. Add in to the soup.
  6. Adjust seasonings and serve.
  7. Enjoy!
  8. The soup can be stored, tightly-covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for several months.
  9. When reheating (to 160 degrees F), add additional stock or water to thin the soup, if needed.

 

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