I just got finished eating.. Oh My Goodness, this soup is AWESOME! I looked at everyones reviews and took the best of all of them and came up with these hints... FIST and most important, if you are on a diet, just enjoy this recipe and don't try to alter it. Splurge... it's worth it! I browned bacon to use the grease to sautee the onions and then layered the ingredients. I used a hambone from Honey Maid Hams that I had left over. I also dumped in the bacon that I used initally. I also added shredded carrots and used more chicken broth than suggested.... I also added an extra 1/2 bag of peas half way thru the cooking time for added texture.... AND I think although alot of people skipped the milk, I think it is an important ingredient as it giives the soup a smoother texture and helps to thicken it, which helps with the additional liquid that had been added. It is delicious and satisfying! OH! and you can't forget to add crispy croutons to the top before you dig in!!! ENJOY!!!
I agree with all the other reviews. I followed the recipe layering etc. with just a couple changes: Used chicken broth, more than 5 cups, did not use the milk either, added my ham bone(ie why more than 5 cups broth) and forgot the bay leave. Put in crock over night. In the am, I sifted the bone and extra fat out. Gave it a big stir and OMG it was fantastic! It's for dinner tonight! I am having a hard time keeping my husband away from the pot! Thanks Deanna W.
Great! I used chicken broth instead of water and I believe 5 cups was not enough. I eyeballed it, and used more. It turned out fabulous though!
I changed the recipe a little because I wanted to cook it in a pot on the stove instead of the crock pot, but I used the ingredient portons exactly except I added 2 stalks of celery and about 9 cups of water to cover a ham bone. I cooked it on the stove for about 2 hours until it thickened up. It turned out deliciously. I didn't add the milk at the end -- didn't need to.
this was a fantastic recipe! i agree with other reviewers....more than 5 cups of liquid is needed. however, the flavor is amazing - i used 4 cups chicken stock and a couple more of water...milk optional. i also made a vegan variation by omitting the ham, doubling the carrots, adding a bit more onion and salt, and using vegetable stock in lieu of water and milk. my vegan friend and my picky husband loved it! this will become a standard in our house - never going back to the condensed version!
This was my first time making split pea soup and it was SO easy and turned out great!! I used chicken broth instead of water and added some chopped celery too. Also, I cooked it on low for about 8 hours because I was gone all day. Great recipe and super easy!!
The recipe delivered as promised, a hearty soup, and in the slow cooker, it was very easy. Prep time took alot more than 5 minutes, however, which didn't diminish my enthusiasm for recomending it. I even doubled the recipe, using 5 cups chicken broth and 5 cups water. I added celery, and didn't have bayleaf, so omitted that. I think next time I would add some ground rosemary or thyme and maybe some fresh parsley. It made enough to have leftovers, and freeze, as well.
So good and so easy! This recipe has become a permanent addition to our rotation. I did use chicken broth instead of water, but did not need to change the quantity of liquid.
Pretty tasty. I would recommend using chicken broth instead of plain water. I also added celery and a cup of rice which were nice additions. I substituted pork sausage instead of ham, and added a dash of smoke flavoring. The milk adds a nice creamy touch.
Disliked that it was not ready in the time allotted (4 hours and 5 minutes). The peas did not split until 2-3 hours later...due to the fact that directions did not say to soak the split peas overnight. For a beginner cook, ALL directions need to be written down...otherwise, they will not know to do a certain step until they get more experience.
