Split Pea Soup

When I was a kid and Mom made ham for dinner, I knew Split Pea Soup wasn't far behind.
I loved the smokey flavor of the ham and the sweetness of the split peas. So if you have a left over ham bone and ham you can use that in this recipe, but if not, you can use bacon as I've indicated in the recipe. xo

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Celery Stalk, Chopped

2 Carrots, Peeled and Chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, Minced

1 1/4 C Green Split Peas, rinsed

6 Slices Thick-Cut Bacon, Chopped, or Ham Bone with some ham still on it

7 C water

1 Bay Leaf

3/4 t Salt

1/4 t Pepper

1 T Italian Parsley, Finely Chopped In a medium size stock pot, heat olive oil and bacon, brown bacon, if using a ham bone, skip bacon and add ham bone when water is added. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute until onions are translucent. Add split peas, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper and parsley. Let simmer on medium-low heat for an hour or until peas are soft and soup has thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone, remove any remaining ham and return to soup. Remove bay leaf before serving.