Spicy Yellow Split Pea Soup

3 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil

onion

1 ½ teaspoons of cumin

chilli flakes, smoked paprika or smoked chilli

one cup of yellow split peas

This is an alternative to lentil soup, using the closer to home yellow split peas.

Heat 3 tablespoons rapeseed or olive oil and add one finely chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Sweat for 5 minutes on a medium heat. Dry toast 1 ½ teaspoons of cumin and then grind. Add this to the pan and also a sprinkle of chilli flakes, smoked paprika or smoked chilli. Rinse one cup of yellow split peas picking out anything that looks like a stone and add to the pan. Stir all this together for a minute. Add 1 ½ pints boiling water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer with the lid on.  Stir often, and cook until the peas are so soft they have disappeared. You don’t want to eat these undercooked, so probably about an hour. Even better, put it in a pressure cooker to cut the time and energy used. There should be no need to blend, but you might want to just a little and serve with some yoghurt on top.