Split Pea Soup with Homemade Ham Bone Stock

This split pea soup with ham stock is delicious, with a rich stock of onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves — the perfect post-Easter meal!

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 hr 20 mins
• Total Time: 8 hr 50 mins
• Calories: 322 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 2 bay leaves
• sea salt to taste
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 2 (1.41 ounce) packages sazon seasoning (such as Goya®)
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 meaty ham bone
• 10 cups water, or more as needed
• 1 large overripe tomato, punctured with a knife
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 pound split peas, picked over
• 2 teaspoons ground pepper, or more to taste
• 0.5 pound baby carrots
• 0.5 pound celery stalks, cut in thirds
• 0.5 pound baby carrots, thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Remove 1 1/2 to 2 cups ham meat from bone; dice and set aside for use in soup.

Step 2

Pour stock through a strainer and discard solids. Transfer stock to a covered container and refrigerate until fat rises to the top and solidifies, 1 to 3 hours.

Step 3

Skim off fat and pour stock into a slow cooker.

Step 4

Cook on High until soup is thickened, 5 to 6 hours.

Step 5

Transfer about 1/3 of the soup to a blender. Cover and hold the lid down with a potholder; pulse a few times before leaving on to blend. Return purée to the slow cooker and stir.

Step 6

Make stock: Combine water, ham bone, baby carrots, celery, tomato, quartered onion, garlic, and bay leaves in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer stock for 3 hours.

Step 7

Make soup: Melt butter in a large saucepan. Cook and stir baby carrots, red onion, and garlic in hot butter until browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Pour wine into the pan and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits of food off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add to the slow cooker.

Step 8

Rinse and drain split peas and add to the slow cooker. Add reserved ham meat, potatoes, sazon seasoning, black pepper, and sea salt; stir well.