A warm bowl that lets split peas turn naturally creamy under a bold Creole sofrito. It tastes like home: thick, mellow and deeply comforting, with honest nourishment and flavor that settles you down.
Finely chop the red onion and sauté it with vegetable oil for 8 minutes, until soft, translucent and sweet-smelling. Add garlic
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Add ají panca paste, tomato paste, cumin, dried oregano and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sofrito looks darker and smells like a proper Creole stew base.
Rinse the dry green split peas until the water runs clearer. Add them to the pot with carrot, celery, white potato, bay leaf, salt and water; stir well to lift all the flavor stuck to the bottom.
Once it boils, lower to medium-low heat and simmer partially covered for 40 minutes, stirring now and then. It is ready to move on when the peas look broken down, the potato is tender and the broth starts turning creamy.
Mash part of the peas and potato against the side of the pot to build body. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the soup turns silky-thick and coats the spoon without feeling heavy.
Remove the bay leaf, taste for salt and serve hot. Finish with parsley if you want a fresher ending; the soup should be thick, glossy and deeply spoonable.
