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Traditional recipes for split pea soup call for salt pork. This recipe breakswith tradition and uses ham instead: you get the taste without the fat. To Cut backon sodium, use low-sodium soy sauce, generally availablein the Asian or diet food section of your supermarket.
1 pound dried split green peas, rinsed and drained 8 cups water 2 carrots, scrubbed but not peeled, cut into eighths 2 medium yellow onions, cut into eighths 3 cloves garlic, quartered 2 stalks celery with leaves, cut into eighths	4 ounces lean ham, visible fat removed, cut into bite-size pieces 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/8 teaspoon dried ginger 3 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, bring peas, water, carrots, onions, garlic, celery and ham to arapid boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and cook. covered, at a gently rolling boil, 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until peas are soft. Add soy sauce, oregano, ginger, hot pepper sauce and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes to blend flavors. In a blender or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process two to three cups at a time, until pureed. Return to saucepan and reheat, if necessary. Serve hot.
Yield: 10 l-cup servings Calories: 203.73 Protein: 14.68 g Fat: 2.57 g Carbohydrate: 34.50 g Cholesterol: 7.30 mg Sodium: 310.83 mg