Split Green Pea Soup

A delicious split pea soup recipe, with ham.

Ingredients:
2 cups dried split peas
6 cups cold water
1 meaty ham bone
1/4 pound Salt pork, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
10 cups water
1 cup diced onions
1 cup celery leaves and stalks, chopped

Directions:
Soak the peas overnight in the 6 cups of cold water.
Drain and put in a heavy soup kettle with the ham bone,
salt pork and 10 cups of water. Cover and simmer 2 hours,
then add the onions and celery. Simmer about 1 hour longer,
adding another cup of water if soup dries out too much.
Remove ham from bone and dice. If desired, remove the salt pork.
Put the soup through a strainer, blender or food processor.
Blend with ham or add ham back into soup after blending.
I like to blend or mash part of my pea soup and leave some texture.
If the soup not thick enough, add 1/2 cup of light cream.