Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

I really like the recipe I have for Split Pea Soup, but I am not as much of a fan when I leave out the ham.  Since I limit how much meat I eat, I'm always looking for options that are meatless.  I saw this recipe and decided to try it, and I loved it! 

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 cups vegetable broth

1 cup dried split peas

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried chipotle chile pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large skillet, saute onion, celery, garlic, and carrots in olive oil for 5 minutes.

2. Place vegetables, vegetable broth, peas, thyme, chile pepper, salt and pepper in a large pot.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, simmer for a couple of hours or until peas are soft.

3. I used an immersion blender to purree most of it, you could use a blender or you could choose to leave it chunky.