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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Split Pea Soup

Who's ready for spring? Anyone? 

Okay.. me too. And it's just around the corner. I am sharing this Split Pea Soup recipe as a little gift to you. The colors are bright and cheerful and the flavors are super healthy! 
I also received a little gift from a dear friend who made me the most beautiful placemats.. can you see the sweet butterflies and bright colors that have me fantasizing about bikini's, camping trips, and sailboat rides?
This special gift inspired me to share this delicious soup recipe with you. It is so easy (it just goes in your crock pot and cooks while you pray for spring) and it is totally nutritious and delicous!
The big flavor from the ham paired with the cream texture from the split peas, potatoes, and cooked vegetables make this soup a marriage made in food heaven! And with only 121 calories per serving and only 12 grams of cabohydrates you can't beat it nutriotionally! And.. the carbohydrates from from the beans and potatoes which are loaded with fiber and potassium.. much needed for the overall health and wellness of our bodies! 

Get yourself a big bowl of this festive comfort food and dig in! 

Split Pea Soup
48 ounces Fat Free Low Sodium Chicken Broth
2 cups Celery; diced
1 Large White Onion; minced
8 Cloves Garlic; minced
4 cups Carrots; diced
4 cups Split Peas; rinsed
4 Fingerling Potatoes; minced  

4 Bay Leaves
4 Cups Water
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
4 cups Low Sodium Ham; diced


1. First we start by taking out the largest crock pot we have. Then pour the entire 48 ouces of chicken broth into it and set the crock pot to High.
2. Now it's time to chop, dice, and mince the celery, onion, garlic, and carrots. Add all the chopped and minced vegetables into the warming broth. 
3. Rinse the split peas in a colander and drain well. Add the split peas to the crock pot.
4. Mince the potatoes and add them to the crock pot along with the bay leaves, additional water, pepper, and salt. 
5. The prom queen of the show gets added now. Take the ham and dice it into bite sized cubes. Add to the crock pot. 
6. Stir it all around a little bit and and cook over high heat all day (6-8 hours). Aren't the colors just awesome? Then spoon into deep bowls and eat hot straight from the crock pot to the table!


Servings: 12 servings (approx. 1 cup each)


Nutritional Skinny:


121 calories / 2.6 g fat / 15 g carbohydrates / 3 g fiber / 12.3 g protein


Mental Health Benefit: I could go on and on about the health benefits of split peas, but let me just hit on the highlights for you... Good dinner conversation pieces perhaps? Split peas are an excellent source of fiber and protein. The soluble fiber can help lower your cholesterol and help reduce irritable bowel syndrome side effects as well as diverticulitis. If you are diabetic? Well, great news! These little wonder beans help stabilize your blood sugar while providing you with a steady stream of protein. No more sugar spikes! This promotes a healthy A1C reading! All in all, this is a power food no matter what your goals are. 

Be my guest and eat up!

1 comment:

Teresa said...

Thanks a lot!!! Love it

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