This is true comfort food and pretty easy to make.  It's nutritious, economical, and satisfying.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. oil
2 onions, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, sliced tin or grated
1 clove of garlic, diced
​1 pound of green split peas
​Water or broth to cover (about 6-8 cups)
Salt and Pepper to taste

If you wish, you may add a one pound smoked ham hock to the soup and before serving, remove the ham hock and pick the meat off the bone and add it back.
Or you may get a slice of deli ham, cut into bite size pieces and add it to the soup the last half hour of cooking.

Directions:

Heat the oil in a soup pot and add the onions, celery, and carrots and sauté 3-5 minutes, add the garlic and cook about another 30 seconds.  Add the peas and broth and the ham hock if using.  (If using deli ham, add in the last hour of cooking.)  Bring ingredients just to boil and then simmer, covered about an hour and a half until peas are falling about if you simmer without a cover just keep adding water as needed.  Remove ham hock, if using, and purée if desired.  Add ham back, taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.