Pea & Ham Soup

290g (1 ⅓ cups) green split peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 carrots, peeled, chopped

2 sticks celery, trimmed, chopped

1 brown onion, halved, chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

700g ham or bacon hocks

1.5L (6 cups) cold water

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Bread, to serve

Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain.

Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.

Add split peas, ham hocks and water. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 - 2 ½ hours or until ham hocks are tender and the meat is falling away from the bones. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Remove ham hocks from pan. Remove the meat from bones. Coarsely chop meat and set aside.

Place one-quarter of the pea mixture in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. Return to pan with ham. Repeat with remaining pea mixture. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until hot.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve immediately with crusty bread.