Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Whole Wheat Rolls

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not a huge fan of slow cooker recipes. The ones that I have tried out were just subpar to other methods of cooking, albeit super convenient! My crock is mostly reserved for mulling wine... which is a highly important task that I take very seriously.

I decided to take a chance on this split pea soup mostly because I am on Christmas break and feeling a little lazy. These days following Christmas have been a chance for me to really let me hair down. Things had been super hectic in the weeks leading up to Christmas and I was feeling the stress of getting everything done in a short time! Thankfully, everything went very smoothly and I had a wonderful couple days with family. I really am so blessed.

And, oh my goodness, was this slow cooker soup worth the risk!! Slow cooking the soup with the hambone over 7 hours allowed the bone to entirely shed the remnants of ham, and the peas to break down thickening the soup into one beautiful mess. Plus, it allowed me to run errands, go to the gym, and even finish up the Jinx (you NEED to watch that mini series if you haven't yet!) and nap it out before it was done! I don't think I'll be jumping on the slow cooker bandwagon anytime soon, but this is one recipe I would certainly do over again in the crockpot.

In all the extra time I gained by putting this in the crockpot, I decided to take on another adventure. I have tried working with yeast a couple times, but have failed in getting bread to rise properly and gave up. Lame, I know. I decided that today I would face yeast yet again in an attempt to conquer my fears and also to make some yummy looking whole wheat yeast dinner rolls by one of my favorite bloggers, Half Baked Harvest. Let's just say, I won!! They were amazing! And a perfect compliment to the soup. There might have been a victory dance involved.

One impromptu dinner guest even exclaimed "Amy... This is OUTSTANDING." The soup, not my victory dance. But now that I think about it, probably both. 

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Serves 6

1 ham bone (be generous with the meat you leave on it!)

1 16oz bag of split peas

1 yellow onion, diced

2 cups chopped carrots (about 5 small)

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp chopped parsley

6 cups chicken broth

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker. Make sure everything is covered by the chicken broth. If your ham bone is barely fitting in the crockpot like mine was, check back in a few hours. It will be much more flexible and you can make sure the entire bone is submerged.

Cook on high for 6-8 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the bone when finished. Season with salt and pepper!

Whole Wheat Rolls

http://www.halfbakedharvest.com/easy-fluffy-pull-apart-whole-wheat-buttery-dinner-rolls/