Judy's Hearty Split Pea and Ham Soup

This is my mom's recipe that she has been making since I was a kid. My husband never liked pea soup until he tried this one! My mom always makes it without the ham bone and just uses diced ham, but if you have bone in ham, you could put that in the soup while it's cooking. This hearty soup gets even tastier and thicker the next day when reheated. Goes great with crusty bread and butter!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 20 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) bag  split peas
• 14 1⁄2 ounces chicken broth
• 2  large onions (diced small)
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon marjoram
• 1  bay leaf
• 5  carrots (1/2-inch slices)
• 5  celery ribs (1/2-inch slices)
• 5  medium potatoes (1/2-inch dice)
• 1 1⁄2 lbs ham (1/2-inch dice)
• 1  ham bone (if you have it) (optional)

Directions

1. Rinse one bag of split peas. Bring to a boil with 7 cups of water and 1 can of chicken broth. Cover and turn off heat and let sit for 1 hour.
2. Turn burner back on medium heat and add the ham, (bone if you have it), onions, salt, pepper, marjoram, and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to and allow to simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours.
3. Add carrots, celery, and potatoes. Cover and simmer on low for 1 hour.
4. Remove the bay leaf and bone (if using) and serve.