Split pea, lentil or bean soup? I like lentils, split peas (& black eyed peas too) because you do not have to soak them first - & red (hulled) lentils are ready in just 20-30 minutes. Just rinse them, put them in the pot w/ the bone, cover w/ a couple of inches of water & simmer for 20 minutes, then add chopped celery, carrots & onions, maybe a clove or 2 of garlic & a bay leaf or so & simmer until everything's soft. Salt & pepper to taste & you're good to go!

Ditto. That be a soup bone. :)

Soup it is, but it will hugely elevate a plain bean soup, which, btw, freezes well.

I love the 13 bean bags, throw out the seasoning package.

Hot diggity! Thanks so much!!!!

Smiles,

Sooz

It's raining here this afternoon - I could see a lovely pot of split pea soup flavored with that bone. I'd say beans, but this last year I've been doing a cold water overnight soak of beans (refer) and like the results of that - after a lifetime of both room temp and quick soak method ;) So if I wanted it for today, I'd make pea.

Split pea soup every time. Then when the soup is all cooked, trim off any little bits of meat that you can and add to the soup after you have pureed the soup in the blender.

Personally, I do not like smoked pork in split pea soup, although I do like regular pork in split pea soup. If I were going to use it in pea soup, I would remove all the meat from the bone first and use that in a ham salad and then add the cleaned bone to the soup.

Potato soup is a different story, and smoked pork would work much better in that than in pea soup, but that is just my own preference. For some reason, I do not like smoky flavor with beans, but I do like it with potatoes.

Having never been a fan of split pea soup, I would make a big pot of this. It's delicious!

Navy Bean Soup

From
Food Network Kitchens

1
lb navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained

10
sprigs parsley

2
sprigs fresh thyme

1
bay leaf

2
large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 lb

1
medium onion, coarsely chopped

1
clove garlic, coarsely chopped

8
c cold water

1
medium carrot, coarsely chopped

Kosher
salt and fresh ground pepper

Butter
for garnish

Place
beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to
simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from
heat, cover and let sit for one hour.
Drain and reserve. Tie parsley,
thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.

In
large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions and
garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust the heat so that the
soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook
until the beans and hocks are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Turn
off heat and remove hocks. Cool
slightly. Remove meat from hocks,
discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut
meat into small cubes. Remove herb
bundle from soup and discard.

Puree
about 3 cups of the beans with some of the liquid in a blender. (For a smooth
soup, you may puree all the beans). Stir
the puree and diced meat into the soup.
Heat the soup and adjust seasoning as needed with salt & pepper.

Ladle into heated bowls, place a small pat of butter
on top of each bowl of soup, serve.

Linda

Send it here. I'll take care of the problem. :)

Thanks again, everyone, especially for the recipes and ideas! Lacey, I appreciate your offer! :O)