Split Pea & Ham Soup

Ingredients:
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. dried split peas
1 lb. ham bone
14 oz. can chicken broth
14 oz. water (use can to measure)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
In a medium pot, sauté onions, carrots and celery in oil. Just before they are done, add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add split peas, ham bone, chicken broth and enough water to cover ingredients, and season with pepper. (Do not add salt until the end, as the ham is pretty salty and you may not need any.)

Cover, and cook on low heat until there are no peas left, just a green liquid, about 2-3 hours. Check periodically to see if all the liquid has evaporated; add more water/broth as necessary.