There is a little German bakery/ Resteraunt in Downtown Augusta that has the ABSOLUTE BEST split pea soup. Its really really thick and served with sliced sourdough bread. I have seen several recipes that look good but almost all of them have pieces of meat in them. I know this soup was cooked with a ham bone but I don't think there was ham in it. Does anyone have an ABSOLUTELY AWESOME split pea soup recipe??

just leave out the meat from the recipes...

Split Pea Soup 1 carrot, diced 1 potato, diced 2 onions, diced 1-2 stalks celery, chopped 1 c. dry yellow split peas 6 cups boiling water and 1 ham bone OR 6 cups chicken broth salt and pepper Sauté diced vegetables in a little oil till softened. Add the rest and simmer for 45 – 60 minutes or until peas are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Purée in blender if desired, but the soup is good either way.

This one is really good, and if you just want the ham flavor without the ham, don't add it back in after the initial steps.... Split Pea Soup 1 pound green split peas, picked over, rinsed, and drained 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 pounds total 1 large onion, chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 1 large carrot, chopped 10 sprigs parsley 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 8 cups cold water 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more Freshly ground black pepper Serving suggestion: Toasted croutons In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the peas, hocks, onion, celery and carrot. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen string. Add the herb bundle, water, and salt, bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1-1/2 hours or until the peas are tender. Remove the pot from the heat and remove the hocks. Cool. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut the meat into cubes. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Puree the soup with a hand held blender or in batches in a blender. Heat the soup to a simmer with the meat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in heated bowls with the croutons, if desired. Enjoy!