ham and split pea soup

i have begun a new love affair and i truly have no idea why i waited so long to pursue this relationship.

he's a red-hot little number that is dependable and a big helper when it comes to getting dinner on the table.

he's a crock pot.

did i lose you there?

i am more than slightly embarrassed at how flippin' excited i was to finally purchase and own a crock pot. but i was. so excited! visions of easy and delicious meals swirled around my head and all i could think about was why, oh why, didn't i do this sooner?

last week, the wee one and i were at the local natural food shop and they had some hot, fragrant split pea soup in the deli/butcher shop area. i got a little sample and gave a taste to the babe and imagine my joy and surprise that he chowed it down. i knew this was a recipe that would be perfect for the crockpot and delicious for the entire family.

i have made the original recipe before, from barefoot contessa, and it was delightful so i knew this would be a great recipe and i would just need to make a couple minor changes to it for the crock pot and to my taste.

parker's split pea soup

adapted for crock pot

1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves

1 -1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)
1 pound dried split green peas

 7 cups chicken stock or water (i used 4 chicken/3 c water)

2 cups chopped ham

this is so easy-

throw chopped onions, carrots, potatoes, garlic, split peas and ham into the crockpot. add in salt, pepper and 2 bay leaves. cover with 7 cups of liquid. stir. cover and cook on high for 5 hours.

we love ours served with a drizzle of good quality balsamic vinegar and a few croutons.