Recipe - Split Pea & Yam Soup

This soup is so yummy!  Chips and sour cream topped it off nicely. Next time I make this recipe, I think I will experiment by using more broth than water.  I'm not sure it can taste better, but it will be fun to try.  This recipe originally came off the Forks Over Knives website, and I only made a few changes. 

Enjoy!

Split Pea & Yam Soup

INGREDIENTS

10	cups water (I used 4 cups vegetable broth and 6 cups water)
2	cups dry split peas
1	medium yellow onion, chopped
1	medium yam, diced
1 - 2	medium white potatoes, diced
2	ribs celery, diced
3	cloves garlic, minced
1	teaspoon dried oregano
1/2	teaspoon ground cumin
2	teaspoons salt
1/2 to 1	bunch kale, chopped into bite-size pieces (I didn't use the ribs)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.	Fill a large soup pot with the water, broth, and split peas and bring to a boil. Turn down to a low-medium boil (not a simmer) and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.	Add the onion, yams, potatoes, celery and dried herbs/spices, and continue to cook at a medium boil for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally. (Add a little water as needed if soup gets too thick.)
3.	Add in the kale and cook for an additional 10 minutes. (Optional: remove some of the soup, add to kale in a blender. Blend until smooth, add back into the soup.
4.	Serve hot. Optional: garnish with chopped tomatoes.
5.	Chef’s Notes:
6.	Add barley: You can substitute 1/4 cup of barley for a 1/4 cup of the split peas (if you are not sensitive to gluten). This results in an even heartier soup.
7.	Soup texture: Create a smoother soup by using a handheld potato masher or electric immersion blender, or by pouring half or all of the soup into a blender or food processor (cool a bit first before doing this so there is no danger of burning yourself).
8.	Potatoes: Yukon Gold potatoes are my favorite to use in this soup since they are so naturally buttery and creamy, but any kind of white potato can be used. Same for yams: any type or sweet potato can be used. I like to peel my potatoes for this soup, but you may also leave the skins on.
9.	Onion/garlic: Two teaspoons granulated or powdered garlic may be used in place of the fresh cloves. I like to chop the onion using my food processor because it gets the pieces very small without making my eyes water.