Country-Style Pea Soup with Chicken

This warming soup is prefect for any chilly fall evening.Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry green split peas
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups hot water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• Dash of garlic powder
• 1/4 cup diced cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions:

1. Place peas, onions, broth, water, and seasonings in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook until the peas and vegetables are very soft, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
2. Place half of the soup in the blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to the pot.
3. Add the chopped cooked chicken and frozen peas and bring to a boil. Cook until peas are defrosted, then serve hot.

Chef’s Tips:It’s easy to make your own chicken broth using the carcass from a roasted chicken. To make the broth: place the carcass from the roasted chicken into a CrockPot with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 2-4 hours. We also added the roasted veggies that were in the pan when we roasted the chicken. Serve roasted chicken one night and this soup the next nightNutrition Facts:This recipe serves 8. Each cup contains 66 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 grams of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 15 milligrams of cholesterol, 81 milligrams of sodium, 5 grams of carbohydrate, 1 gram of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 8 grams of protein.