The Best Split Pea Soup. Ever.

I confess I'm a soup person.  I love soups!  One of my absolute favorites is split pea soup.  But not just any split pea soup.  Jane Brody's dutch oven split pea soup. 

Ingredients:
1 lb dried green split peas
6 c water
4 c (approx) broth (chicken or beef)
1/4 lb smoked pork or ham; diced
3/4 c celery, with some leaves; chopped
2 leeks; (white part only) thinly sliced
1 lg onion; chopped (1 cup)
2 1/2 c potatoes; diced
1 1/2 c carrots; diced (2 large)
*Although the original recipe doesn't call for it, I often add in a bay leaf*
1/2 ts salt; if desired
1/4 ts freshly ground black pepper
1 dash tabasco or other hot pepper sauce
Instructions
(1) In a large saucepan, combine the peas and water. Bring the water
to a boil, and cook the peas for 2 minutes. Remove the peas from the
heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.

(2) Add the broth, pork or ham, celery, leeks, and onion. Bring the
soup to a boil, reduce the heat, cover the pan, and simmer the soup
for 1-1/2 hours.

(3) Add the potatoes and carrots, and cook the soup for another 15 to
30 minutes (the peas should disintegrate). If the soup gets too
thick, thin it with additional broth.

(4) Season the soup with salt, pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

This soup takes time to prepare but it is worth the wait.  The peas completely disintegrate, and the soup is thick and flavorful, if not exactly appetizing in photographs: