Split Pea,Ham And Bacon Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) bag dried split green peas
1 onion, chopped
7 slices turkey bacon
3 cups turkey ham, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon celery seed
1 quart chicken broth
salt and pepper
4 cups of additional water (optional)

Preparation

Saute onion and garlic until tender.
Brown bacon.
Mix all ingredients together except last 4 cups of water.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or however tender you prefer your peas.
This is how I make it with the extra 4 cups of water.
Saute onion and garlic until tender.
Brown bacon.
Mix all ingredients together including the last 4 cups of water.
Add Salt and Pepper to taste.
Bring to a full boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours (until about half of the peas are mush).
If you prefer you may also add 3 tablespoons of flour to adjust your thickness.