Sopa de Ervilha: Portuguese Pea Soup

Ingredients

• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Chouriço (1 cup, diced)
• Chicken broth (6 cups)
• Dried split peas (2 cups)
• Potato (1 large, diced)
• Carrot (1 large, diced)
• Garlic (2 cloves, minced)
• Onion (1 medium, diced)
• Olive oil (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add the diced onion, minced garlic, diced carrot, and diced potato to the pot. Cook these ingredients until the vegetables are soft, which should take about 10 minutes.
3. Next, add the dried split peas and chicken broth to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer until the peas are soft. This should take about 20 minutes.
5. Once the peas are soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup until it's smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use a standard blender, just be sure to let the soup cool a bit before blending.
6. Add the diced chouriço to the soup and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Season the soup with salt and pepper to your liking.
8. Serve the soup hot. For an extra touch, you can garnish it with a bit of fresh parsley or a sprinkle of crumbled chouriço.