This is a fabulous recipe made even better by taking tips from a few of the reviewers who've already posted. Nice color, nice balance of flavors, very homey and comforting! I served this with some great crusty rolls and a nice green salad, and it was a HUGE hit even with my finicky teens. Here's what I did to "doctor" it up: First, I cut back by half on the water. Second, I added about a Tbsp or so each of fresh sage, thyme and parsley (toward the end of cooking) and maybe half that amount of dried marjoram (because I couldn't find any fresh). Third, instead of ham hocks which my family doesn't like (or need :-)), I bought some wonderful smoky ham at the deli counter, cubed it up and added about 1/2 lb of it right at the beginning of cooking, then used the remainder to garnish. I did add one chicken bouillon cube but used low sodium chicken broth and added no additional salt, and it came out nicely. Last, I added some nice-sized chunks of carrots and celery, and cut my potatoes into larger chunks too, to give the soup a more hearty flavor and appearance. One last tip -- This recipe makes a very large batch of soup, and I knew we would tire of it before it was eaten. So I froze half of it at the stage AFTER pureeing but BEFORE adding any milk. We'll enjoy it again one wintry evening!

A word to the wise: ALWAYS READ REVIEW SUGGESTIONS before preparing a recipe. I made this recipe pretty much as instructed (I substituted a dash of cayenne for the red pepper flakes and substituted 1 tbsp "TASTEFULLY SIMPLE brand spinach & herb mix"...as it was the only thing on hand will dill in it). The recipe was way to watery for my family. I tried to salvage it by pureeing 3 cans of drained peas (it's all I had on hand) with a little of the broth and returned it to the pot. It was still watery so I thickened it with 1/2 c flour and 1 c water. This really increased the number of servings, so as not to dilute the flavor, I added 1/2 cup of TASTEFULLY SIMPLE product "Bacon Bacon" (dried, seasoned bacon bits). The flavor of the soup was great... my 5 year old ate 3 bowls! I froze the remainder in single serving portions using a vacuum sealer system and will have soup for weeks to come!

I followed this recipe just as it was, it is wonderful, we all loved it.

Delicious soup a real hit in our house. i make it often.

As much as I love split pea soup, I hardly ever make it because the recipe I have, although delicious, is very time consuming. I found this to be very good and so quick and easy. I cut the water to 4 cups and would recommend using low sodium chicken broth, as the chicken bouillion powder is very salty. I will make this again (and soon).

this recipe is wonderful. i have made it several times since i found it and my whole family loves it.

Thanks to the reviewers, I started off by cutting the water in half. Was glad I did since we prefer hearty soups. Highly suggest smoked ham hocks. Other additions include an extra pound of smoked ham, 3 stalks celery, 3 carrots, garlic powder, fresh parsley, thyme, marjoram, and sage. Thank you so much for this recipe! I have finally outperformed the legendary mother-in-law. Update: Freezing works on this soup, but I've recently decided I prefer halving the recipe so we can eat all of it fresh!

I made a few changes: used yellow split peas instead of green and added 3/4 cup more peas for a thicker soup. For a lower fat version, I cut up 3 thick slices of lean smoked ham instead of using ham hocks. I also used low sodium chicken broth and bit more hot sauce. My favorite soup!

I HAVE NEVER MADE SPLIT PEA SOUP BEFORE THIS WAS EASY ANDVERY VERY GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good recipe. Have made several versions with bacon, hamhocks, and ham bones. I prefer using smoked hamhocks and I always add some small diced boiled potato, carrots and about a cup and a half of cooked ham slice to the pot after I cream it. Makes it a little heartier and serve it with garlic bread and a salad. Very nice.