Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup

Melt butter in a stock pot. Add carrots, onion, and celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic, parsley, salt and black pepper and cook for 1 more minute. (This step adds a nice sweetness to the vegetables, but if you’re making your soup in a slow cooker, just dump the ingredients into the cooker and skip sautéing the vegetables.)

Add ham bone, split peas, and water to the pot and stir to evenly combine the vegetables and split peas. Cook soup at a simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Stir soup periodically and scrape the bottom of the pot to prevent burning. The soup can also be cooked in a slow cooker on high heat for 4–5 hours, or on low heat for 8–10 hours. Halfway through cooking, add potatoes to the pot so that they don’t become too soft. The soup is done when the split peas are soft and breaking apart and ham is falling off the bone.

The last step is to remove the bone from the pot and any gristle that may have fallen off of it. Stir in diced ham, bring back up to a simmer, and then remove soup from the heat. Serve immediately. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.