I am delighted that cooler weather is upon us, and couldn't wait to get the slow cooker out for some hearty soup. This sits on the bench all day and is perfect to freeze for future days of winter rejoicing.
Ingredients
- 1 packet of split green peas
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 ham bone, left over from Christmas or buy a ham hock from the deli
- a few bay leaves
- water
Method
- Put everything into the slow cooker. Add enough water so that it is about 5 cm from the top. Stir.
- Turn the slow cooker on to high. Leave the room, come back in about 6 hours. Oh, come back and stir it if you must!
- Use tongs to remove the bone. Strip the meat off the bone and shred, put aside for a few minutes.
- Using a stab blender, puree the contents of the slow cooker, then stir in the shredded ham.
- Serve with croutons, and if you are feeling fancy, a dollop of sour cream and a slick of chili sauce.
Feel free to add any other vegetables you like at step one. Potato, kumera, and pumpkin all play nicely in this soup, as does fresh rosemary.
Awesome Croutons
Ingredients
- 1 french stick
- oil
- minced garlic (jarred is fine)
Method
- Cut the french stick into cubes about 2 cm square, place in a large bowl
- pour over a generous amount of oil (this is not a diet recipe). You want all the bread to be touched with oil, but not soaked. Be quick, it's like a sponge.
- Stir in a large tablespoon of garlic. Stir well to evenly distribute.
- spread out on a baking tray lined with baking paper, cook on a high heat. Take it out and stir often so that all surfaces of the croutons are evenly browned, this will take about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, but watch so that it doesn't burn.
These keep well in the freezer although you might want to crisp them up in the oven before using. Great for soup or salad.
Enjoy!
xx