Split Pea Soup

There is nothing better than a rich and hearty soup on a cold and blustery day.  Our weather here in the Dallas area has been unusually cold and windy lately.  This soup is one of Gerry's favorites but it is not one that I grew up with for some reason.  I must admit I am now a huge fan of it.  It has a handful of simple ingredients along with some dried split peas and a ham hock (or shank).  Let it simmer for about an hour and you get a heavenly soup.

Our menu for the day:
Breakfast - Protein Shake
Lunch - Turkey Wrap (Organic roasted turkey slices, tomato and avocado slices with grainy Dijon mustard in a lettuce leaf), apple slices with almond butter

Split Pea Soup
Makes 4-6 servings

1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
1 pound split peas, rinsed and picked through
1 pound smoked ham hock
2 quarts chicken stock, water, or combination (I used chicken stock)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, saute onion, celery and carrots over medium-high heat.  Add peas and ham hock and cover with stock by a couple of inches.  Bring to a simmer and cook about 1 hour until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated but not quite.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Remove ham hock and let cool slightly.  Pull meat from ham hock bone and shred.  Garnish with ham and pepper.


Slightly adapted from Food Network

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