Yellow Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham

The rainy season began today and the weather has cooled a bit. A perfect day for soup. Hearty soup. Carrot and celery are often added to split pea soup, but I was out of both and feeling lazy, so I went with onion and garlic. This recipe is inexpensive to make and will warm you up on a cold, rainy day.

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme

1 bay leaf
1 lb package dried yellow split peas
1 large smoked ham hock
10 cups water
Tabasco to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Let it heat up for a minute and then add the onions. Stir for a few minutes then add the garlic, thyme, and bay leaf and stir again. Add the split peas and ham hock. Pour in the water and simmer the soup for 2 hours, stirring often. Remove the ham from the bone and add back to the soup and stir in. Serve hot with homemade bread. Makes 6-8 servings.