Split Pea Soup / Soupe aux Pois Cassés

During my junior year of college my housemate Gabrielle bought TONS of split peas because “they were on sale!” So my housemates and I made multiple HUGE vats of this for our house and we ate it at every meal for weeks. The soup recipe comes from Student's Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond. I like it because it's simple and the chipotle adds an unexpected smoky flavor to the soup. This recipe should make about 4 servings.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1 c chopped onion (1 small onion)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 c)
4 c water
1 c dried, green split peas
1 large potato, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces (about 2 c)
salt and pepper
2 chipotle chiles, chopped

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a 3 to 4 quart saucepan.
2. Sauté the onion and garlic on medium heat until the onion is tender (about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.
3. Add the carrots and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for another 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Add the water, peas and chipotles.
5. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to low and simmer it, covered, until the peas are tender (about 30 min), stirring occasionally.
7. When the peas are tender, add the potatoes to the pot and cook until they are tender (about 15 min).
8. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.