Perfected Ham and Split Pea Soup

1 pound bag dried split peas (about 2 cups)
6-8 cups of broth (chicken broth or ham drippings with fat skimmed off)
1 pound ham (left over from a baked ham without glaze - not lunchmeat), chopped or cut into bite sized pieces
1/4 tsp marjoram (can be omitted without much change in flavor)
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 can peas with juice
1 cup carrots (about 4 medium), diced/chopped finely
1 cup celery, chopped finely (2-3 stalks)
1 cup onion, chopped (1 med/large onion)

Don't let the soup stick to the bottom for long or it will burn. This is great for leftover ham, in fact, we buy a bigger ham just to have leftovers to make this soup. I use a lower sodium broth/stock. You can make your own "ham stock" by boiling the ham bone ahead of time. The ham from the bone is usually tasteless after boiling it so I do not use that meat in my soup. The stock it produces will be close to sodium free, so you may need to add bouillon or salt to bring up the flavor. Keep it slightly under salted because the ham added at the end brings the salt content up.

In a large soup pan, combine dried split peas, broth, and seasonings. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour. Cover for a thinner soup or leave cover off for a very thick soup. Stir occasionally, especially if making the thick version. When split peas are mostly broken down (after 50 minutes - 1 hour), add can of peas with juice and vegetables. Cook for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Add chopped ham, heat thoroughly, about 10 minutes.

Serving Size: Makes 6 hearty servings

Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MRSWESTY.