1 lb. bag split green peas
1 medium onion, diced
3 celery sticks, cut into smaller pieces (clip the top, and large white bottoms of the stalks)
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper, to taste
1 smoked pork shank (or use a smoked pork hock, your choice)
6 cups water
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 carrots

A lot of people soak the peas overnight.. this is not necessary. However, rinse the peas well, and place them in a pot.

On a light simmer, in a pot large enough to hold the ingredients, cover the peas with 6 cups of water, and simmer for approximately 5 hours or so (every stove top is different) (keep pot covered at all times you're simmering), or until the peas are tender enough to mash. Mash only part of the soft peas, approximately 1/2 of peas should be mashed.

Let stand over night in the covered pot.

Start simmering peas again, slice all carrots into rounds, slice celery stalks into small pieces, slice onion into a little bigger then diced pieces, place Bay Leaf into pot along with all the other ingredients, salt and pepper should be added to taste (salt can be omitted).

Place the smoked pork shank in the pot after the water has heated up, this helps draw all the flavor out of the shank.

About an hour after the shank has been added, sprinkle with garlic powder.

Let the pot simmer for about 2 hours longer keeping the pot covered at all times.

Remove shank and let cool, strip meat off the shank and pull the meat into pieces as large as you like. If you like more meat, 2 shanks can be used, but DO NOT increase any other ingredient.

Warm pot to desired temperature and serve in bowls, or large soup cups, with a side of buttered bread, or crackers.

Excellent soup to take the cold out of Winter, and the bone chills that come with it.

If you have any leftovers, freeze it off in a freezer proof container after the leftovers have cooled completely.

To thicken the soup if you desire, remove the cover and let simmer until desired thickness, or add water to thin.

Submitted by: Terry & Cheryl Engel