Pea Soup

a staple in a Dutch household

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dried split green peas
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 pieces of celery, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 oz. cubed ham
• 1 qt. chicken stock
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs parsley, plus more chopped for serving
• 1 bay leaf, optional
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the split peas in a colander. Rinse them well and pick through for any tiny pebbles or debris.
2. In the base of a slow-cooker, combine the peas, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, ham, chicken stock and 1 1/2 cups of water. Tie the sprigs of thyme, parsley and the bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine, wrapped around the bundle a couple times, then add to the slow-cooker.
3. Cover and cook on high heat for 4-5 hours, or low heat for 8-10 hours, until the peas are tender and have split to thicken the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with chopped parsley.