Split Pea and Lentil Soup (Vegetarian)

I'm not sure I've ever had traditional split-pea soup! I've been wanting to try it for a while but I know it usually has ham in it... I can't remember the last time I ate ham! Needless to say, I needed to find a vegetarian version. Well, that failed (or I just didn't look hard enough!) but I did find a recipe for "crowd pleaser split pea" in a recipe book a parent from work gave me so I figured I'd try it and just leave the ham out.
I had a feeling it may be a bit boring or lacking in flavour.. boy, was I wrong! This is great - I don't think you'd ever miss the ham! I did decide at the last minute to add some lentils for protein - they are totally optional if you don't have them.
Just made this again and added some fresh lemon juice to it. Not sure it really added anything to the flavour but it is a little extra vitamin C, right?! :)

No photo since split pea soup is hardly the most photogenic dinner! ;) It was damn tasty, though!

Serves 6 (I only made half of this - the leftovers should freeze well!)

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced (superfood!)
2 cloves garlic, minced (superfood!)
2 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup diced potato - I used red potatoes and left the skins on; if you use russets, peel them first
1 bay leaf
4 cups vegetable broth (original called for chicken broth)
1 cup split green peas
1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (new addition!)
1/2 cup lentils (superfood!)
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
Good shake of freshly-ground black pepper (probably about 1/8-1/4 tsp.)

Method:
1. In a large pot, saute the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil for 8-10 minutes. Add the broth, lemon juice, potatoes, bay leaf, peas, and lentils plus extra broth or water if you need it (make sure the peas and veggies are covered). Stir in the marjoram and black pepper. Bring this mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer.'

2. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until the peas and lentils are cooked. Discard the bay leaf. Serve with crusty bread (I skipped the crusty bread since I had a filling today... I really wanted that crusty bread! lol)

Reference:
Based on the "Crowd Pleaser Split Pea Soup" recipe from Fresh Mama's. My changes are in purple (I left out the ham as I mentioned in my little story at the top - if you'd like to use ham, you'll need 1 cup of diced ham. Add it in with the broth, bay leaf, and peas).