Chicken and Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup of yellow split peas washed
• About 2 tablespoons of oil for cooking I use avocado oil
• 1 lb potatoes peeled and diced
• 3 carrots sliced
• 3 sticks of celery diced
• 1 onion diced
• 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 wiri wiri pepper optional
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon of Loisa Adobo or more to taste
• 3 quarts about 12 cups of water
• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs, halved

To season the chicken

• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon of onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt iodized sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of parsley flakes
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions

1. In a bowl combine the chicken, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, parsley flakes and black pepper and set aside

Stove Top Instructions:

1. Then add a large stock pot to medium heat and bring up to temperature, then add the oil and let it come up to temperature
2. Next add the onion and garlic and cook for about minutes, followed by the seasoned chicken and sauté for about 5 minutes
3. Then add the washed split peas, celery, thyme, bouillon or Loisa Adobo and about 8 cups of water
4. Bring to a boil and cook until the split peas are completely soft (this takes about 40 minutes to an hour) then add the potatoes, carrots and wiri wiri peppers (if using) and about 4 more cups of water
5. Continue to cook until the potatoes are almost mushy, then use the back of your pot spoon to crush about ½ of the potatoes and mix into the soup to thicken the broth. This step is only needed if the potatoes don’t dissolve into the both during cooking

Make it in the Instant Pot:

1. Set your instant pot to the sauté option
2. When the pot is hot add the oil and bring up to temperature the seasoned chicken (see step 1 above) and sauté for 5 minutes
3. Then add the washed split peas, the thyme, celery, bouillon cubes or Loisa Adobo, sliced carrots and potatoes followed by 6 cups of water and mix together well
4. Then take the instant pot out of sauté mode by hitting cancel, seal up the instant pot and pressure cook on high for 30 minutes
5. After the pressure cycle completes, rapid release the pressure, then add the wiri wiri pepper (if using) so that they can steam
6. Give your soup a good stir and it is ready to eat

Notes

If you want lots of heat in your soup, you can add the pepper at the beginning of the cooking process when you add the split peas and other ingredients. I like to control my heat, so I just let my pepper steam, then I cut it open and mix it into my food while eating. (Metemgee)