Split Pea Soup With Pumpernickel Croutons Recipes

SPLIT PEA AND HAM SOUP WITH CROUTONS

Steps:

• 1. Place your ham bone in a large pot and cook on medium heat for 1 1/2 hours.
• 2. Look through your split peas and throw out any bad ones and then rinse with cold water. Remove your ham bone and remove the remaining meat on the bone. Tear or cut into smaller pieces.
• 3. In another pot take at least a quart of the broth and add your peas, seasonings and your ham. Begin cooking on a medium heat for 1/2 hour or so. Continue to add broth to your liking as the peas absorb broth you will need to add more.
• 4. After 1 1/2 cooking or so, add your carrots, celery and onions. While this continues to cook for another 1/2 or so till vegetables and peas are done you can make your croutons.
• 5. CROUTONS: Tear your bread into smaller pieces and coat with your oil and toss with hands. Now, add your seasonings of garlic powder and beau monde. If you don't have beau monde just add garlic salt. Add a little more oil if necessary to coat the bread pieces evenly as possible. Place in oven on some tin foil OR parchment paper at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes.
• 6. Ladle your soup into a bowl and add your croutons. Now you are ready to eat.

SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH PUMPERNICKEL CROUTONS

Steps:

• Simmer ham hocks in 16 cups water in a deep 6-quart pot, uncovered, until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Transfer ham hocks to a cutting board and measure broth: If it measures more than 12 cups, continue boiling until reduced; if less, add enough water to total 12 cups. When hocks are cool enough to handle, discard skin and cut meat into 1/4-inch pieces (reserve bones).
• Chop 2 carrots and cook along with onion and celery in 2 tablespoons oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Add split peas, table salt, pepper, ham hock broth, and reserved bones and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until peas are falling apart and soup is slightly thickened, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400°F.
• While soup simmers, toss bread with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and kosher salt in a large bowl, then spread in 1 layer in a large shallow baking pan and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool croutons in pan on a rack.
• Halve remaining 2 carrots lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove bones from soup with a slotted spoon and discard. Add carrots and ham pieces to soup and simmer, uncovered, until carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add frozen peas and simmer, uncovered, stirring, until just heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt.
• Serve soup with croutons.