Lickety Split Pea Soup with Ham

Lickety Split Pea Soup with Ham
2 quarts water
2 quarts lower-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 package (16 ounces) green split peas, picked over for small stones and other foreign matter
1 ham bone with meat attached
2 large onions, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
6 celery ribs, strings removed and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
2 medium bay leaves
To a large saucepan or stockpot add the water, chicken broth, split peas, ham bone, onions, carrots, celery, thyme, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, skimming fat from the surface from time to time.
Reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until the peas are tender. Remove the ham bone and cool it.
When cool enough to handle cut the meat off, trim and discard any fat, chop the meat coarsely and set aside.
Remove the bay leaves from the soup and discard. Using an electric hand blender, food processor or blender, puree the soup until almost smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add the ham to the soup, heat briefly and serve immediately.
Serves eight.
SaltSense: 30 percent of the salt comes from the chicken broth and 60 percent comes from the ham, which is why you see no added salt in this recipe. Using sodium-free chicken broth reduces the sodium per serving to 766 mg per serving.
Nutrition values per serving: 323 calories (9 percent from fat), 3.2 g fat (0.8 g saturated fat), 42.6 g carbohydrates, 4.9 g fiber, 27.8 g protein, 26 mg cholesterol, 1,163 mg sodium.