Central Illinois Vegan

Not everybody enjoys peas as much as I do. If you, too, enjoy peas, try this soup! You've got loads of peas, loads of vegetable broth, and an all-around fantastic soup.

So here's what you need:

• 1 bag of frozen peas (I like frozen because they don't have all the added sugar of canned, and because they mush easier than fresh peas... and you don't have to shell them)
• 1 large or 3 small carrots, cut into small cubes
• 1 small yellow or white onion, cut into small cubes
• 1 tbsp (15ml) olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 1 liter (4 1/4 cups) of vegetable broth

Here's what you do:

• Heat your soup pot, add your oil.
• When your oil is hot, add in your onions and carrots, salt and pepper.
• Once the onions are translucent and the carrots are just under tender (don't worry, they'll cook more in the broth), add your peas. Just dump them in.
• Cook the peas, onions, and carrots until the peas are very mushy, then add enough broth to cover the vegetables already in the pot.
• Heat to boil, then reduce to medium-low and cover.
• Stir every 7 minutes or so until the peas are really starting to mush and the soup is opaque and green, you can squish them manually if you like.
• Add more liquid broth as needed, use water if you run out of broth.
• Once everything is the right consistency, check your salt and pepper.

While I prefer to leave it with carrot chunks, some people may want a smoother pea soup, so a trip to the blender may be in order.

This savory sweet soup will brighten your day, and it's very easy to store and reheat. It's even good for potlucks!

Enjoy!