Mom's favorite Split Pea Soup

Why I Love This Recipe
I'm convinced that the secret to this is the ham bone - it has to be a honeybaked. Something about the flavor in it just doesn't have any equal. This is one of my mom's absolute favorite soups
Ingredients You'll Need
1 lb green split peas
2 qts filtered water
1/4 c unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions diced
2 medium ribs celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
2 T roasted garlic
4 c homemade chicken stock
1/2 lb honeybaked ham
Honeybaked hambone
1/4 c minced parsley
2 c half and half
salt, pepper, and tabasco to taste
additional ham for garnish
Directions
Sort peas and rinse, then soak in 2 qts filtered water overnight
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat
Add onions and saute until translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, add roasted garlic
Add celery and carrots and cook another 10 minutes
Drain peas, add to pan
Stir in stock and bring to a boil
Add ham and hambone and parsley
Reduce heat, cover and simmer until peas are very tender, about 90 minutes
Remove ham and hambone from soup
When cool enough, remove ham from hambone and dice
Use immersion blender to puree about half of the soup
Return ham to soup, stir in half and half and heat thoroughly
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and tabasco
Garnish with julienned ham