Split Pea Soup

I had never made or eaten split pea soup ever in my life before I tried this. It. was. so. good. Oh man. So good and so filling!! 

Prep: takes a little effort in the beginning, but then easy 
Time: eh you gotta do some vegetable chopping
Taste: I LOVE IT
From: inspired by many internet searches for "split pea soup"
Note: you gotta blend this soup at the end... I used my food processor

Split Pea Soup

1 small onion, chopped

2  garlic cloves, minced

2 carrots peeled and chopped

2 sticks of celery, chopped

1 bell pepper, chopped

1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced

8 cups veggie broth

2 cups dry green split peas

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon pepper

bay leaf if you want

Saute onion and garlic in large soup pot. Once a little brown, keep adding veggies, stirring. Add it all in. Bring to boil, then reduce to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Check split peas- are they soft and edible? If not, keep simmering. Once they are soft, remove bay leaf if you used one, and blend soup in a blender, food processor, or use an immersion blender to get it all. Yes, it's weird. But YUM.