Split Pea Soup * clean out the fridge!

20131227-100921.jpg Time to repurpose that Christmas ham & clean out the veg in the fridge! Somehow a carrot & turnip from my CSA are still going strong, paired with some swiss chard, misc onions (scallions & a shallot), and those split peas, I have the makings of a delicious soup!

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Chop up whatever veg you have in the fridge, a clove of garlic & some rosemary tasted great in the soup. The red veg in the pic below is swiss chard stems. Remember - chard is a cousin of beets, without the beet flavor but with all the health benefits. So use the stems! Cook them up with the rest of the veg before the leaves go in.

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When adding the leafy chard to your split pea soup, this goes for any chard/kale/spinach, chop it as small as possible to keep it from being stringy.

This soup packed a mega-veg punch. All the holiday treats were great, but it's time to up the veg to keep healthy during the winter.

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In all, cooking time was about an hour and a half. Thirty minutes to chop, sauté the root veg & leafy greens, and to bring the 2 cups of dried split peas, ham & stock to a boil. Then it simmered for an hour or so until the split peas bloomed. As for seasonings - the ham was super spiced so I held back. Just a smidge of rosemary & a teensy bit of sea salt at the end.

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How are you repurposing your xmas goodies? Any fun new kitchen gadgets?

Happy Holidays!