Frugal Ham and Split Pea Soup, gluten free, dairy free

A few weeks ago when I was doing my twice monthly shopping trip, I found split peas on clearance at Aldi for .79/bag. I picked up a couple bags, then last week I found a half turkey ham at Aldi for $4. I used half that ham last week to make Ali's "Kiss Me Scalloped Potatoes" for my husband after a particularly long day at work, and tonight I'm using the other half for split pea soup.


I have been attempting a vegetable garden for the past few years, and last fall I planted Danvers carrot seed and I'm starting to grow impatient over waiting to harvest it. I would like the carrots to get a little bigger, but I went ahead and harvested some today using the excuse that it'll give the other carrots more room to grow. Smaller carrots also taste better, right?

This soup is simple, half of the ham half, two bags of split peas, two onions, a bunch of small carrots and some chicken stock left over from a chicken I cooked a couple weeks ago (I freeze the stock). All together It is costing me less than $5 to make (I suspect even less than $4) and will feed my husband and I for two nights easily.

Frugal Ham and Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups diced ham
2 - 16 oz bags split peas
2 medium onions, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
10-12 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Brown ham in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and saute until onion is translucent.

2. Add rinsed split peas and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes.

Total cook time is about an hour. Serves 8+ (or two people over two nights if your husband is a heavy eater).