CHEF JON'S SPLIT PEA AND HAM BONE SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse peas well in cold water and add to a large cooking pot.
• Measure 12 cups of water and add to cooking pot.
• Bring to boil, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 1 hour.
• Return to stove and bring back to boil.
• Add ham bone, carrots, onions, celery, bay leafs, beef base, Goya ham and Goya Sazon seasoning, salt, peppercorns and dried thyme.
• Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• Remove ham bone and cut off any remaining ham, cut into bite size pieces.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.
• Add ham back to soup.
• Discard ham bone.
• If there are big pieces of ham in the soup, remove, cut into bite size pieces and return to soup.
• Remove bay leaf and discard.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• If soup is too thick, add more water to your desired consistency.