lickety split

Split pea soup. Ham hocks are pretty awesome.

I can think of a few things you add to soups while they cook and remove at the end--bay leaves and thyme sprigs are two examples. The most important one that comes to mind is the humble ham hock. It delivers a meaty flavor that you just can't achieve with bullion cubes or actual pieces of ham, and certain soups are lost without it!

Split pea soup is one in which the flavor of ham is essential. Unfortunately, I didn't have a ham hock at the time of making this, but I did have a bag of dried split peas with a packet of "ham flavor," whatever that might be. The finished soup did taste a bit of ham, but it wasn't nearly as satisfying as the hock would've made it.

That said, we really enjoyed this soup--it had a very pleasant texture and without that hit of ham, we were able to taste the herbs more clearly. Nutritious and delicious!

Ham Hockless Split Pea Soup
(printable recipe)

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) bag dried split peas (preferably with ham flavor packet!)
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 7 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in the slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and set slow cooker to low for 6-8 hours.
Remove bay leaf and thyme stems, then use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree if desired.
Add salt and pepper to taste, and add water to thin as needed.