It might not win any beauty contests, but Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Chicken Sausage and Carrots is still a beautiful thing to come home to!
I've had a life-long attraction to split pea soup, even though I don't remember my mother ever making it when I was a kid. Not only do I love the creamy flavor of the split peas, but this type of soup is about as budget-friendly as you can get, and this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Chicken Sausage and Carrots is a healthy dinner that can cook all day while you're at work. And even though some people don't like the looks of this type of soup, coming home to soup in the slow cooker on a cold winter night is definitely a beautiful thing. (Check out the Slow Cooker Photo Index Page for more slow cooker soup ideas!)
I made this soup with Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage, one of my favorite sausage varieties, but any type of chicken or turkey sausage will work, or use leftover ham if you prefer. I used carrots for a pop of color and flavor, but if you replace the carrots with red bell pepper you can make a lower-carb version of this soup that's equally delicious. If you're starting this in the morning to cook all day while you're at work you can do the browning of the sausage and onions the night before and keep them in the fridge overnight. Then throw everything in the slow cooker the next morning and turn it on!
Click to continue reading