• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter, or warm oil, then add bacon, ham and/or sausage. Yes, butter and bacon – you got a problem with that?
• When the fat has rendered from your choice of meat candy, you can drain off all but 3 tablespoons of the fat (you don’t have to if you don’t want to, I won’t tell)
• Add the onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes.
• Add marjoram or thyme and stir 1 minute.
• Add dried peas and give it another stir, then add water and increase heat to bring the pot to good boil then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Partially cover pot and simmer the soup, stirring often, about one hour or until vegetables are tender and peas are falling apart. It's ready to enjoy now.
• If you like your soup a little less chunky you can take a potato masher and go at it until it’s to consistency you like.

Smooth and creamy soup instructions

• Don’t put the soup in the blender because pureed bacon or sausage isn’t very Diva…
• To make creamy and smooth split pea soup, Follow the recipe as directed above but remove the bacon, ham or sausage after the fat has rendered and set aside.
• When the soup is done, allow to cool, then puree it in small batches in a blender to the consistency you like.
• Return it to the pot to reheat.
• Add the bacon or sausage to the finished soup or use it to top the soup as a delectable garnish.