Split Pea and Ham Soup Version 3.0

This is the third split pea and ham soup I've posted and while it may seem redundant, they are each different in their own wonderful way which is why I can't just let it slide. It's also a bit on the ugly duckling side of things appearance-wise, so I feel obligated to expose the beauty of its flavor over and over and over until we can all agree that split pea soup is awesome.

This soup is great for many reasons but let me touch on the two most important ones. 1) The flavors only get better with time so one pot of soup will cover at least a few days' worth of lunches or easy repeat dinners. 2) It's really really really easy to make. It takes nearly 3 hours from start to finish, but your actual active time will be more like 10 minutes. This is another recipe that is great to try when you will be home for that amount of time busying yourself with other chores or projects. I made this soup, Asiago French Bread (it makes a guest appearance in this post as a dipper for the soup), did laundry, and organized my craft bins in that 3 hour time. Hooray for multitasking!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and grated
• 2 cups dry split green peas
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2-3 cups chopped ham (ends and pieces from your local butcher are perfect for this, meat from a slow cooked ham hock would work, or you can use bacon if you're feeling sinful)
• 2 tsp red chili flakes
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dill
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Directions: 

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, onion and carrots, and cook until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add all ingredients except the balsamic vinegar. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally (about once every 30 minutes). If the soup is quite thick, add 1/2 cup of water at a time as needed. Should be smooth, not thich like mashed potatoes!
2. Once the split peas have cooked down (at the two hour mark they should have basically melted apart in the soup) add the balsamic vinegar and give it a good stir. Cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes, then serve hot with crusty bread and a light salad. 

See I told you the soup was not too sexy lookin'. Don't worry, just turn down the lights and enjoy. Just kidding please don't eat hot soup in the dark. Bad, bad idea.

For leftovers reheat the soup with a splash of chicken stock or water to thin it out as needed.