Split Pea Soup

While watching the seventh season of the “Next Food Network Star”, I could not get enough of Jeff Mauro.  He is goofy and has fun in the kitchen while making great food.  I record his show “Sandwich King” and enjoy watching it and re-creating his meals.  My husband enjoys ham quite a bit, and sounded interested in Jeff’s Split Pea soup, so I decided to give it a try.  It turned out great!  I made of few changes, of course.  First, I decided to use up some green onion I had lying around as a garnish.  I do not use garnishes often, but my husband did comment that he liked how it added texture.  I did not use a bay leaf, because I didn’t have one and didn’t want to buy it just for this recipe.  I also cooked the soup with a ham hock instead of an 8oz piece of ham.  After taking out the ham hock, I pulled what little meat I could off of it to add to the soup.  I also pan fried a ham steak, cubed it, and added it.  I cooked it in a cast-iron Dutch oven because I have one and don’t get to use it often.  Next time, however, I am going to sauté the veggies in a pan and then use the crock pot.  It will probably take longer, but I found that it was difficult to fit all the ingredients in my Dutch oven.  Plus, this is a great recipe to make when you aren’t in any hurry.  It is relatively low-maintenance as well.  Another suggestion I have is to use more garlic, but then again, I love garlic.  Enjoy!

*Note: When I served this to my buddy, he said, "This tastes so much better than it looks", so don't let the picture scare you away.

Total Time:  2 hr 5 min   Prep: 45 min    Cook: 1 hr 20 min    Yield: 6 servings    Level: Easy

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil3 stalks celery, chopped3 cloves garlic, chopped2 parsnips, peeled and chopped1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper2 sprigs fresh oregano2 sprigs fresh thyme1 bay leaf2 ounces bourbon1 pound split peas, picked through for pebbles then rinsed with cold waterOne 8-ounce piece smoked ham8 cups chicken broth1/2 baguette, sliced and toasted

Directions
In a large sauce pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the celery, garlic, parsnip and onion, and saute for 15 minutes to build flavor, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Add the oregano, thyme and bay leaf, and cook on low for 3 more minutes. Turn the burner off and add the bourbon, return to the heat and reduce for 3 minutes. Add the split peas, ham and stock. Remember to season lightly as you cook. Cook until the peas are tender and the soup has reduced to the desired consistency, about 1 hour. Pull the ham piece and herbs from the pot and, using an immersion blender, blend the soup until mostly smooth. Cut the ham into 1/2-inch pieces and add back to the pot. Serve with the toasted baguette.