Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

March is here! March is here! I really love this month. It's the beginning of spring, snow is melting, and St. Patrick's day is around the corner. So in light of this month's holiday, I'll be featuring a few green themed recipes. Today's post is a comfort food classic that is naturally gluten free. I really love finding or realizing a recipe is naturally gluten free and no extra effort is needed to "tweak it". This one is that type of a recipe. Plus, it's SO darned easy. It's one of those dump and go meals.

So here's how it goes. Layer the following ingredients in the order I have listed. Set the slow cooker to high, then cook for about 3-4 hours or 8 hours on low/medium.

1 pound dry split peas

2 smoked ham hocks, 1 meaty hambone, or 2 cups cubed ham

1/2 cup diced onion

2-3 minced garlic cloves minced or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup diced carrots

2 celery ribs diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh parsley minced or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Now mix together 1 1/2 quarts water, about 1 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt of your choice (now each seasoned salt is different, so use your tastebuds to determine amount), and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well then pour over the contents of the slow cooker. Now....put that spoon away. Don't even THINK about stirring it up. What did I tell you about dump and walk away? Well...that's just it. Once you pour the water mix over everything, just set the temperature of your cooker then walk away. Really, that is all you need to do.

After your soup has cooked for a few hours, you can check it, stir it, debone the meat from the ham bones and check the consistency. Cook it longer if you like a more "soupyness" or serve it up a bit chunky. Totally up to you.

That's all there is to it!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

1 (16 oz.) pkg. dried green split peas, rinsed

1 meaty hambone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped onion

2 ribs of celery plus leaves, chopped

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 ½ teaspoon seasoned salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. fresh pepper

1 1/2 qts. hot water         

Layer ingredients in slow cooker in the order given; pour in water. Do not stir ingredients. Cover and cook on HIGH 4 to 5 hours or on low 8 to 10 hours until peas are very soft and ham falls off bone. Remove bones and bay leaf. Mash peas to thicken more, if desired.