1 large ham bone with some ham meat still on it (leftover from a baked ham dinner. Alternatively, you can use a pound of deli ham, cut into cubes)
1 pound bag of green or yellow dried split peas
2 onions, diced
2 – 3 potatoes, diced
2 – 3 stalks of celery, diced
2 – 3 carrots, diced
8 – 10 cups of water
2 bay leaves
salt & pepper to taste
Place ham in kettle, add water to cover. Add in onions and bring to a boil.
Stir in peas and potatoes, bring back to a boil, them simmer about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Let simmer for about an hour, stirring frequently. The split peas and potatoes should be completely dissolved in the soup when ready.
If you used ham with a bone, any remaining meat should be coming off the bone very easily. Separate the ham from the bone and add back to the soup. Discard the bone.
It may be necessary to add additional water to the soup pot based on the amount of vegetables added to get the desired consistency.
This is a very forgiving recipe which allows you to adjust the ratio of vegetables and meat to water to achieve different consistencies and flavors. As a variation, you can use stir in a teaspoon of ground cumin.