I love split pea soup with ham and cannelini bean soup with ham as well. I make them pretty much the same with chopped onions, garlic, leeks, celery and celery leaves and carrots. And of course the ham.

I recently made a batch of cannelini bean soup because it was May 2nd and snowing!!!!! I made it the usual way but added some sun dried tomatoes which made it extra special.

One of the things about these two soups is that they freeze well. When I make a batch I freeze some to take to work for lunches.

I think you and your family sound like a lot of people. They don't think they will like pea soup. And then they try it and surprise, surprise! :-)

So true, I make a 15 bean soup that my meat and potatoes Dad and I both love. It always surprises me how good it is and how much we both like it! but it has a lot of ham....

Yum, split pea is one of my favorites, with or without ham. I usually do mine in the crockpot too, it's so easy and the soup comes out well without any stirring or sticking or "seeing to".

Both my girls love split pea soup too, so we've had it regularly while they were growing up and feeding them was expensive.

Annie

I make split pea soup a few times during the cold months and I usually surprise myself by thinking "why don't I make this more often?" Sometimes I'll get a thick slice of ham from the store deli and chop that up to add to the soup. A couple of smoked pork chops or smoked turkey pieces could sub for the ham also.

I think my recipe originally came from a bag of the dried split peas.

Teresa

I found a recipe for split pea soup with smoked ham hocks in Ad Hoc at Home. It's the first split pea soup I've ever liked. I make it in quadruple batches because it freezes well. It's great on a cold winter's day, very comforting.

Cheryl

I made one after Easter. Haven't made it in years since it has never been that good when out and about having it in soup/salad restaurants, so gummy.
So good at home. Pulled one out of the freezer for last nights quickie, ham and white bean with green spit peas...added a small container of homemade chic stock to stretch it. Chopped some fresh beet greens i needed to use up and plopped that on top while heating. Yum.

Adding beans sounds good.

I have not made the soup for a while. It takes too long for me to split each pea. (kidding, LOL!)

Isn't it nice to make something simple, the first time and enjoyed by all?

dcarch

sleevendog, I put all kinds of things in my pea soup, and I don't have a recipe.

It starts with split peas, a chopped onion, diced potato, diced carrot, chicken stock, a ham bone. I've added frozen peas, greens, white beans, whatever I have left over. Cabbage and broccoli weren't so good, LOL.

Annie

I have always loved split pea soup, and it is one of my favorites, along with lentil soup. I like it with ham (but not smoked), but DB won't eat ham, and so I usually leave meat out altogether - I don't think it needs it. I do add onions, garlic, carrots, and celery as a general rule and make it with chicken broth. I haven't tried potatoes in it yet, although I generally do add those to lentil soup.

Fortunately, it is cool enough here most of the time to have soup, although last week was unusually hot.

I've made soup with cabbage or bok choy, but it was usually a Japanese or Chinese style soup. I have never made borshcht, although I like that also.

Lars

Ahhhh, yes!
Good ol' home made split pea soup,
One of my all-time favorite 'comfort foods'.

I've tried it in restaurants, soup & salad places, etc,
But for some reason,
It is just never very good.
But I do love the home made!

My 'recipe' is very simple,
kind of like my mother made it.
Just the split peas, the ham bone, some onion,
a bit of white pepper,
(I don't like 'fly-specks' in light colored foods)
And a little carrot, grated on the largest grate of my grater,
for some color.
Oh, and water or chicken broth, of course.
We do like it to be sort of thick.

So glad you & your family tried it and liked it,
Isn't it fun to try new things?
And get a positive reaction from the family?

Rusty

Recipe?

Also I have to say I thought it was funny you made a recipe that didn't appeal to you and you thought your family would be not especially keen on either. I presume that like a lot of us sometimes you are just keeping bellies full whether or not it proved to be a big hit or not:) Glad it worked out.

Kate

Do we like pea soup? there are only two of us here and I canned 22 quarts of it in January. It should see us through Christmas. I hope.

Here is the recipe from Taste Of Home magazine.

1 pkg 16 oz dried green split peas, rinsed
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 carton 32 oz chicken broth
2 cups water

Put all in crock pot. Cover, set on low for 8 -10 hours.

Why did I make it? Well with teenagers it seems I can't keep enough food in the house. Also I get tired of making the same things. The recipe was easy.

Personally I'm kinda of picky, so often I make things I don't like (won't eat) but my family does.

Thank you!

Kate