Split Pea Soup on a Bed of Spinach & Sprouted Rye Bread with Butter

Gathering the Ingredients

Ingredients:

• 1 Ham Steak
• 1 Pound Smoked Bacon
• Butter
• Frozen Peas
• 1 Loaf Sprouted Rye Bread
• 10 Bay Leaves
• 1/4 Cup Dried Parsley
• 1 Small Bag Split Peas
• 5 Bulbs Garlic
• 1 Red Onion
• 1 Small Bag Carrots
• 1 Bulb Fennel
• 1 Bag Spinach Leaves

Start cooking the bacon.  I love using my iron dutch oven with a heavy lid to make soups.  You don't have to worry about food burning on the bottom.  I added the bacon and let it start cooking. I chopped up the ham steak and added it about 10 minutes later.  I let both of them brown nicely together.

Browning the Bacon and Chopped Ham Steak

Next I washed the split peas and set them aside.

Washing the Split Peas

I cleaned the garlic bulbs and trimmed the tips.  I like leaving the cloves of garlic whole when I make a hearty vegetable soup, they cook-up like mini-potatoes.  I scrubbed and chopped the carrots, fennel and red onion.  I used to always use celery in my soups, but I have found FENNEL-which is much tastier in place of cooked celery. When the meats were nicely browned I added the vegetables, split peas, and enough hot water to cover.

Adding the Veggies and Split Peas to the Browned Bacon & Ham

I added the bay leaves and dried parsley and stirred the pot well.  I placed the heavy lid on top.  I turned the heat on high until it started simmering, then I reduced the heat to warm for about 30 minutes.

I poured the bag of frozen peas in before serving. Don't forget to remove the bay leaves and bone from the Ham Steak and Voilà!  It is done.

Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup Served on a Bed of Spinach With Rye Bread and Butter