How to Make Healthy Crock Pot Split Pea Soup

Split Pea soup has always been one of my very favorite things to make. The only thing that used to hold me back was that it was a big hassle. I hated that the boiling peas would invariably boil over the minute I turned my back to do something else! Well, one day I just decided "heck with it," and I got my crock pot out and put the dried peas and water in there and, voila, all of a sudden it was so easy to make hassle-free pea soup. And, wow, was it great! Here is my time tested recipe, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! This recipe is quite healthy the way I make it.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 bag of dry split peas (16 oz.)
• 6 and ½ cups water
• 2 cups chopped carrots cut into small chunks
• 1 and ½ cups chopped red/purple onion
• 6 to 8 slices of bacon (Jennie-O Turkey Bacon has practically no fat)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons crushed, dry basil
• 2 teaspoons, or thereabouts of Cavender’s Greek Seasoning Powder
• Ground peppercorn pepper to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 heaping Tablespoon of powdered chicken-flavored bouillon
• 5 quart crock pot
• Large, high-sided nonstick frying pan
• Spatula
• Measuring cup
• Large plastic spoon for stirring
• Tablespoon and Teaspoon for measuring

1. First, ignore the directions on the back of the package of split peas. They have no clue, trust me. Turn your crock pot (slow cooker) onto the "high" setting and place your 16 oz. of rinsed, dry peas into it, followed by the 6 ½ cups of cold water. Put the lid on the pot and leave it alone for a minimum of 4 hours. Do not under any circumstances put any seasoning, especially salt, in with the peas and water, as this will inhibit the peas from breaking down.
2. Carrot and Onion Mixture When the peas are fairly close to the end of their initial cooking time, chop up your carrots and onions and put them into your high-sided nonstick frying pan in the 2 Tablespoons of heated olive oil. Season the veggies with the dry basil, salt, Cavender’s seasoning and black pepper. Here I’ve included a photo of this part of the procedure (click on the picture for a larger view) so you can see the seasonings I use on the carrots and onions, and also to show you about how small to chop up your veggies. You want these pretty small, because you don’t want them "stealing the show" in your lovely green pea soup! Once the onions and carrots are cooked pretty well, meaning the onion has gone transparent, and the carrots are soft, remove this mixture from the pan and place in a bowl and set aside for now.
3. Next, take your slices of bacon and fry them in the same frying pan you just cooked the veggies in. Cook until the bacon is crisp, and then discard any fat (you will have practically zero fat if you use the Jennie-O Turkey bacon that I use). Set the bacon aside and let that cool; you will be crushing it up later.
4. Finally, check your peas, and if they are disintegrating nicely, and slightly clumping up, stir them and add the 1 Tablespoon of powdered chicken bouillon. At this point, the peas will be gently boiling. Turn the crock pot setting to "low" and add the cooked onions and carrots you set aside. Stir this all together and allow it to cook for about another 2 hours, or until all veggies are tender. About an hour before the end of the cooking time, crumble up the bacon slices and add them to the pot and stir. When the cooking is finished, turn off the pot, stir, and serve piping hot with crusty toasted baguettes. You are going to love it!

Tips & Warnings

• You can use any spices you want. I have included here the ones that I use, but please feel free to experiment.
• Add low fat shredded cheese to the top of the soup in the serving bowls.
• Add a little paprika to the top as a garnish before serving.
• The important key is not to season the peas, but season the onions and carrots. When they eventually mix, it all comes together beautifully.
• Use turkey bacon if you can; it’s healthier, better, and just a good idea.
• I know, it seems like a long time to cook soup, but it is so well worth the wait!
• Never again do you have to worry about peas boiling over on the stove!