Lunch
Split Pea Soup with Bacon & Crab
Many split pea soups use ham and bacon for good, smoky flavor. Taking it one amazing step farther-add crabmeat. Freeze this one without toppings (freeze the cooked bacon separately), then reheat soup in a saucepan. Feel free to add more chicken stock or broth when reheating if you need it. Sprinkle bacon and fresh crab on top of bowls of hot soup.
INGREADIENT
- 8 thick-sliced bacon strips, chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 packages (16 ounces each) dried green split peas, rinsed
- 2 smoked ham hocks (about 1 pound)
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cartons (32 ounces each ) chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups lump crabmeat
Direction
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels.
- Add onions, carrots and celery to bacon drippings; cook and stir over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in split peas, ham hocks, bay leaves, chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until split peas are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Discard bay leaves; remove ham hocks from soup. When cool enough to handle, remove meat from bones and cut into small cubes; discard bones.
- Puree soup using an immersion blender. Or, cool soup slightly and puree in batches in a blender; return to pan.
- Stir cream, salt, pepper and cubed ham into soup; heat through. In a small bowl, toss crab with bacon; serve with soup.
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