Split Pea Soup

I arrived home from work one day to find Jim making a pot of this for dinner. I'm usually not a fan of split pea soup, but I really like this one -- it's very flavorful and delicious. Source: Soups from the Williams-Sonoma Cookbook Library.

2 cups (3/4 lb. split peas (either yellow or green)
1/4 cup olive oil or unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6-8 cups chicken stock or water
1 piece smoked ham, 3/4 lb.
2 large fresh parsley sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges

Sort through the peas, discarding any impurities or discolored peas. Set aside.

In a large pot, warm the oil or butter over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 cups of the stock or water, the peas, ham, parsley sprigs, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the peas are reduced to a thick puree, about 1-1/2 hours. Add more water or stock from time to time, if necessary, to keep the peas moist.

Before serving, discard the bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Remove the ham, chop it coarsely and stir it back into the soup. Season generously to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed soup bowls, garnish with the chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges to sqeeze into individual portions of soup.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.