Split Pea Soup with Ham

My grandmother got this recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and made it last week after Christmas. DELICIOUS, if you like this sort of thing!

Ingredients:
1 T Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 carrots, thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 T dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 bag (16oz) green split peas, picked over and rinsed
ham bone plus 2 cups reserved ham, cubed

1. In Dutch Oven or 5-qt heavy pot with a lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, 5-10 minutes.

2. Add broth, split peas, ham bone, and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and partially cover; simmer until peas are soft, 30-45 minutes.

3. Remove and discard ham bone from soup. Working in batches, puree soup in the blender and return to the pot. Add ham cubes and simmer until heated through. If necessary, thin with water.

My take: I have never actually in my life had a ham bone...so when I make pea soup, I just buy a chunk of ham from the deli at the grocery store, chop it up, and put it in the soup when I add the peas....