Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone or ham hocks
• 1 pound or less of diced ham
• 1 pound package of dried green split peas
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup of diced carrots
• 1 cup of chopped sweet onions
• 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 32 ounces of chicken broth
• Salt
• Pepper

Herb Bundle Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 large bay leaf

Directions

Wash and sort peas. Either cover them with water and let soak 8 hours (or overnight) or put 2 quarts of water in a soup pot, add peas and bring to a boil. Simmer two minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour.

Sauté the aromatics (onions, carrots and celery) in a tablespoon of bacon grease. Once they are soft, add in the minced garlic.

To make herb bundle, take a 4" x 4" square of clean cotton (like T-shirt material) and put dried herbs in the middle. Take up the corners and tie tight with kitchen twine. Leave about 12" of twine and tie the end to the handle of the soup pot.

Peel and quarter the potatoes and add to pot.

Put in ham bone (or ham hocks), tie the herb bundle to one of the handles, and add the drained, rinsed peas. Add 32 ounces of chicken stock. Bring up to a boil, and then turn to simmer, cover it and let it simmer 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Remove the ham bone (or ham hocks) and herb bundle. Take off any remaining meat from the bones and retain. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, or in small batches in a blender or with a hand mixer. Once fully pureed, add back in the retained meat, plus the one pound of diced ham. Let the soup simmer for at least 15 minutes more and then season to taste.