Split Pea Soup

Heat a soup pot, and add the wine, onion and garlic. Stir them every so often until they're lightly cooked. Add the peas and the dried herbs. Pour in the water or stock and bring to a boil. If you want a thick soup, use 3 cups of water and you can add more when you puree the soup. Cover with a lid, and turn down to simmer. The peas will take about an hour to cook, but if you leave them on for longer they'll get even softer.

Add the chopped carrot or zucchini about 20 minutes before you want to finish making the soup. This will allow them to soften, but not overcook. Once the peas are fully soft, take the bay leaves out and puree the soup with a hand blender, blender or food processor. Add the tamari or miso if you're using it, or sea salt, and taste to be sure the flavors come together. Stir in the black pepper, and nutritional yeast if you're using it, and then add the sundried tomatoes. They can be soaked before you add them to the soup, or let them soften in the soup for a few minutes.

Serve topped with chopped fresh cherry tomatoes and maybe some green onion. It's great along with a fresh green salad.