Instructions: Put bone or knuckles, split peas, potatoes, and onions in the pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and let the soup simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until the peas are soft. Remove the ham bone from the pot and discard it.

Ladle a few cupfuls of soup at a time into the blender or processor, process until smooth, then pour it into the pitcher or bowl. repeat until you have processed all the soup.

Pour the soup back into the pot. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if necessary. Depending on the saltiness of the ham, you may need up to 1 tablespoon salt.

Meanwhile, cut the crusts from the bread, then cut the bread into 1/4-inch cubes. Melt the butter in the skillet. When the butter begins to sizzle, add the bread cubes and saute them until they are lightly browned. Turn them with the spatula so they brown evenly on all sides. Lay a double thickness of paper towels on the counter and, using the slotted spoon, remove the browned croutons and spread them out on the paper towels to drain. If you dont use all the croutons, you can keep them for a week or two in a covered jar in the refrigerator.

Reheat the soup and serve garnished with Croutons.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Variations:
Herbed Croutons: Before sauteing the croutons, add 2 teaspoons of dried herbs or 2 tablespoons of minced fresh herbs to the melted butter. Parsley or tarragon, or a blend of both, makes flavorful croutons.

Garlic Croutons: Substitute 2 tablespoons of olive oil for half the butter and add a peeled, split clove of garlic. When the croutons are browned, drain them on the paper towels and discard the garlic clove.

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