Split Pea Soup

This rainy day put me in the mood for soup, so I made a big pot of Split Pea comfort. One of my first memories of Pea Soup is of my father having to feed us when my mother went off to a conference. He had not yet learned to cook at that point in his life, so he gave us Campbell's Pea Soup, which I loved at the time. Now that I'm all grown up, here's my more "adult" version. Simple, quick and satisfying, plus leftovers freeze well.

Slit Pea Soup with Ham

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. butter

1 onion, finely diced

2 ribs celery, finely diced

2 carrotts, finely diced

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. chipotle chili powder

Salt & Pepper

1 1/4 lbs. split peas

2 ham shanks

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)

• Heat olive oil and butter in heavy pan, add onion, celery, carrotts and a sprinkling of salt and cook till tender, 5-10 minutes.
• Rinse peas well and check for any small pebbles or particles.
• Add thyme, chili powder, peas, ham shanks, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Turn down to simmering and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes, or until peas are tender. Skim off any foam that comes to the top in the first 15 minutes of cooking.
• When peas are cooked, remove ham shanks, trim off meat, chop, and return to soup. Add cream if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.