Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

1 chopped medium yellow onion
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots (3-4 carrots)
2 smoked ham hocks
1½ cups medium-diced celery
1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (you can also use 1 peeled & diced Idaho potato)
1 bag split peas (1 pound), rinsed & picked-through
2 Quarts chicken stock or water
hot sauce of your choosing if you want to add some heat (I like Cholula)

Sauté onion & garlic in olive oil over medium heat with oregano, salt and pepper until onions are translucent.
Add carrots, celery, ham hocks, split peas, potatoes, and liquid and bring to boil. Skim off foam.
Simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes.
Remove ham hocks (can add meat back in if desired).
Cover and simmer for another 40 minutes, stirring frequently to keep solids from burning on bottom.
Serve as is, or
- add a few dashes of hot sauce to your bowl if you want some heat
- add a cut-up (cooked) hot dog
- with Parmesan crostini

Yields roughly 3 quarts of soup.

Notes: If soup gets too thick, just add more stock or water until you get the desired consistency.