Green Split Pea Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 lb split peas (dried green or yellow)
2 chicken bouillon cubes (low sodium if available)
1 ham hock
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
6 cups water (plus 4 cups water to soak the peas in overnight)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Preparation

The night before, add 4 cups cold water to slow cooker/crockpot; stir in the dried green split peas; do NOT turn on the slow cooker/crockpot.
Cover and let soak overnight; In the morning drain and rinsed the split peas; Return the rinsed peas to the slow cooker/crockpot.
Add the chicken bouillon cubes, the onion, the garlic and the pepper; do NOT stir.
Place the ham hock on top of everything, in the middle of the slow cooker/crockpot; Slowly pour in the 6 cups of water; do NOT stir.
Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours; resist the urge to open the lid for a peek; do NOT stir.
When the cooktime is over, remove the ham hock and remove the meat from it; Chop the meat finely and return to the soup.
NOW you can stir and see if it is thick enough for you; if not, remove half the soup and puree it in a food processor or a blender.
Return the pureed soup to the slow cooker/crockpot and stir; Serve hot with crusty rolls or biscuits.
Leftovers may be frozen for OAMC purposes and reheated in the microwave at a later date.
Prep time listed does not include overnight pre-soaking of the peas.