This hearty delicious soup is great for winter evenings.  Serve with some healthy crackers or homemade bread and a salad. You can find this recipe on page 75 of Rhonda's Hallelujah Holiday Recipes book.

Ingredients

• 1 lb split peas (soaked overnight, rinsed, and drained)
• 2 quarts vegetable soup stock
• 2 large baking potatoes (peeled and shredded)
• 1 leek (sliced)
• 3 celery stalks (chopped)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp ground cumin (or to taste)
• pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
• ½ tsp Celtic or Himalayan salt (or to taste)
• ¼ cup dried parsley
• distilled water (add to soup if too thick)

Organic ingredients are always recommended.

Directions

1. Soak peas overnight and drain.
2. Place all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil.
3. Turn down heat and simmer until split peas are soft.
4. Transfer about 1/3 of the mixture to a blender, cool, then blend until creamy. (CAUTION: Do not blend hot soup; cool it first. The steam from hot soup can cause the blender lid to blow off.)
5. Place blended mixture back to the stock pot and serve.

If a creamier soup is desired, allow all contents of stockpot to cool and then add in batches to a blender and blend to desired consistency.