Coconut Curry Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

2 cups dried split peas, rinsed, picked over
Fresh boiling water, just enough to cover the dried split peas
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups vegetable broth
1 to 2 teaspoons Green Curry Paste, or to taste
1 Tablespoon Curry powder
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 14-oz. can coconut milk
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped finely
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Place the split peas in a heavy soup pot on the stove, cover peas with boiling water, cover the pot, turn the burner on at the lowest setting.

Hot soak the peas like this for one hour. Drain.

Place the soaked peas back into the heavy bottomed soup pot and add the chopped garlic, broth, curry, Old Bay Seasoning, and chipotle. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced and the peas are so tender they break apart with a wooden spoon- about an hour.

Stir in the coconut milk and gently heat through. If you like your pea soup thick, keep simmering, and reduce the liquid to your liking. If it needs more liquid, thin with water.