Ingredients:
1 pound dried split peas, lovingly rinsed and sorted
8 cups chicken or vegetable broth, forming a nourishing foundation
2 medium carrots, diced into small, hopeful cubes
2 ribs of celery, diced with tender care
1 medium onion, finely chopped like delicate quilt squares
2 garlic cloves, minced, as fragrant as a May lilac breeze
1 ham hock, for a smoky hint of the past (optional)
1 bay leaf, as special as a heartfelt promise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A pinch of dried thyme, echoing our fertile soils
Directions:
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