Pea and Ham Soup
Slow Cooker
I always save my Ham bone from Christmas to make my first pot of Pea and Ham soup
I don't check it's weight so will take a stab at the amount you will need
You can purchase Ham bones but in honesty as the price gets more expensive the amount of meat left on the bones is minimal
However you will still get good flavour out of the bones.
Ham Hocks are more expensive but supply more meat.
You can also add diced Bacon as well.
Ingredients
500-700grams Ham bones,Hocks.
6 cups/ 11/2 litres water or chicken or vegetable stock
500grams dried split peas, now I like 1/2 yellow and 1/2 green but you can use all of either.
1 Large Onion chopped
peppercorns or pepper (if desired)
Note* here I never add salt until after if it needs it ,
You can add chopped carrot,celery or capsicum/pepper
Method,
Always rinse your split peas you never know where they have been LOL
Now you do not have to pre-soak, but I prefer to even if only for 2-3 hours or you can soak overnight.
Add all these ingredients to your crock pot/ slow cooker
Set on High 6-8 hours or Low approx 10 hours.
Now you can remove your bones and meat after about 4 hours if you wish it can be easier to separate the meat from the bones without all the peas stuck to it but that is your choice.
Pop the meat back into the Pot.
When this is cooked to your liking you may need to mash the peas a bit you could even vitamise.
Serve with crumpets ,bread or toast.
Now this leads me to the true Aussie dish
Pie Floater
Heat your Meat Pies of choice
Place each in deep bowl for each person
Pour over Pea soup to almost cover pie
Add a splosh of Tomato sauce /Ketchup
You don't know what your missing until you try this!
