Split Pea And Ham Soup

• 2 cups split peas
• 1 ham bone
• Additional ham, chopped, to add to meat from bone to make 2 cups total
• 1/2 cup onions, chopped
• 1 cup celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, chopped
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sugar
• dash cayenne or red pepper
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 2 Tbl butter
• 2 Tbl flour
• Croutons

1. 1. Wash and soak split peas.
2. 2. Drain, reserving liquid. Add enough water to make 10 cups.
3. 3. Put water, peas and ham bone in large pot. Cook, covered, 2 1/1 to 3 hours.
4. 4. Add onions, clelery, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, sugar, pepper, thyme. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes until tender.
5. 5. Remove bone and set aside to cool.
6. 6. Put soup through a sieve. Chill. Remove fat.
7. 7. Pull meat off cooled bone. Coarsely chop, add more meat if needed to make about 2 cups.
8. 8. To bind the soup, melt butter and stir in the flour until blended.
9. 9. Slowly add some of the soup. Cook and stir until it boils. Stir into the rest of the reheated soup.
10. 10. Stir in the chopped ham. Season to taste. Simmer 5 mins.
11. 11. Serve with croutons.

peas, ham bone, ham, onions, celery, carrots, clove garlic, bay leaf, sugar, cayenne, thyme, tbl butter, tbl flour, croutons

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/split-pea-and-ham-soup-50158589 (may not work)