1½poundham bone or ham shankswith plenty of meat left of on the bone
1pounddried split peasrinsed
1½cupssweet onionchopped, about 1 medium onion
1¼cupcarrotschopped
1¼cupscelerychopped, about 3 ribs
2tablespoonsolive oil
1tablespoongarlicminced, about 3 cloves
1tablespoonground black pepper
2teaspoonsfresh thyme
1teaspoonsalt
2bay leaves
Instructions
In a Dutch oven or large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the onions, celery and 3/4 cup of carrots. Cook until the onions start to turn translucent and soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute longer.
Add the chicken and vegetable broth, the ham bone, peas, thyme, pepper, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Cover and cook for 75 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove the ham bone and bay leaves and allow the ham bone to cool enough to handle.
While the ham bone is cooling use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Add the remaining carrots and return to the heat to cook for another 30 minutes.
While the soup is cooking cut the ham off of the bone and shred or slice it into smaller pieces. Add it back to the soup just before serving.
Notes
This recipe calls for salt however you will want to taste the soup before adding additional salt as the ham will add a considerable amount. I normally do not need to add any. Add salt to taste.
As the soup cools it will thicken, you can thin it by adding additional water before serving or reheating.