Mmmm Mondays: Leftover ham?

Yes, I've posted this recipe before, but I know that people must have some leftover ham from yesterday!  I wish it was warm enough out that it wouldn't still be soup season, but I guess the weather in the Midwest will continue to be moody.  

I may be one of the only people who looooves split-pea soup, but I hope you try it.  Ricky supposedly hated split pea soup before I made it for him and now he can't get enough.  

**If you are using the ham bone, I usually boil it for 30-45 min in water with a bay leaf.  Save the water to use with the soup.  I cut back the stock to only one box and add 4 cups of leftover water. **

Ashleigh's Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

• Small ham steak (bone-in) or if you have leftover ham, use that (see instructions above)
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped (4 if small carrots)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 16 oz. package of split peas (you don't have to soak them, but you should wash and sort out for any bad beans)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced or finely chopped
• Pepper (I don't add salt because of the ham and crackers I add later)
• 1 box (quart) veggie stock, 1 box of chicken stock & 5 bouillon cubes.  This may seem like too much, but sometimes the broth doesn't add enough flavor.  I buy the cubes and use them in many recipes, including gravy.
• Oyster crackers for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat some olive oil using medium heat (just enough to coat pan, about 1-2 tbl).  Add carrots, garlic and onions.  Pepper to taste.
2. While veggies are cooking, chop ham in bite sized pieces, trimming the fatty parts.  Save the bone and any juices that were in the package.
3. Add ham to veggies and sautee until the ham gets a bit of color, about 3-4 minutes. 
4. Add stock, bouillon cubes, peas and ham bone with juices and increase heat to bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and simmer on medium-low for an hour.  Stir every 15 minutes or so.  
5. After an hour the soup should be nice and thick, if not you can thicken with a bit of corn starch.  I garnish the soup with crackers and add a bit more pepper.

Try this with your leftover ham!  I promise I will take a photo when I make the soup later today and post it.  That helps add a little more of an "yummm" factor.