Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is a good meal on a cold day. Mom would usually make this with a ham bone after a big ham dinner, like Easter. But if you don't have a ham bone, you can just use diced ham. This soup is easy to make and has only a few simple ingredients. Like many soups made from scratch, it is good for a weekend meal because it does take a few hours to simmer. But the time is worth it for the delicious result. Meanwhile, you can make fresh bread to enjoy with the soup, like Mom's French Bread.

I remember that Mom and, especially, Dad liked this soup. I have to admit that when I was a kid, I was not the biggest fan of the soup. I am not even sure what I did not like about it. Now that my tastes have matured, I love this soup. I was missing out all those years when I was young.

Split Pea Soup 

• 1 pound ham (with or without bone)
• 1 cup uncooked split peas
• 2-3 carrots, chopped
• 1/4 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 potato, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Place the ham in a large soup pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for one to two hours hour. Skim off top. If using a ham bone, remove bone. When the bone is cool, remove and chop ham meat and return meat to soup pot. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for another one to two hours, stirring occasionally. Enjoy!