Chef Jon's Split Pea and Ham Bone Soup

This is a great soup for a cold day. It's a soup that warms the soul.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 12  cups water
• 1  large ham bone
• 20  ounces  dried split peas
• 2  large carrots, peeled and diced small
• 2  medium onions, chopped small
• 3  large celery ribs, include leaves, chop small
• 2  large bay leaves
• 2 (1/4ounce) packets  Goya ham seasoning
• 2 (1/4ounce) packets  goya sazon  seasoning
• 2  teaspoons  beef base
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed
• 1  pinch dried thyme

Directions

1. Rinse peas well in cold water and add to a large cooking pot.
2. Measure 12 cups of water and add to cooking pot.
3. Bring to boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
4. Return to stove and bring back to boil.
5. Add ham bone, carrots, onions, celery, bay leafs, beef base, Goya ham and Goya Sazon seasoning, salt, peppercorns and dried thyme.
6. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
7. Remove ham bone and cut off any remaining ham, cut into bite size pieces.
8. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
9. Add ham back to soup.
10. Discard ham bone.
11. If there are big pieces of ham in the soup, remove, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup.
12. Remove bay leaf and discard.
13. Adjust seasonings to taste.
14. If soup is too thick, add more water to your desired consistency.