Spiced Split-Pea Soup

I picked up this recipe on a fitness forum. Great winter soup: high in protein, high in fiber, low in fat. Not so spicy that it'll burn your tongue, but will leave you with a warm feeling inside!

Ingredients	Quantity	Preparation
Split Peas	1 cup	Rinsed & Sorted
Ginger	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Garlic	1/4 tsp	Crushed
Red Chilli Powder	1/4 tsp
Turmeric	1/8 tsp
Cilantro	1 tsp	Chopped
Small Green Chilli	1 piece	Chopped & deseeded
Salt & Pepper	To taste
Lime	1 piece	Quartered

Method:

1. Rinse and sort the split peas in a bowl.
2. Put 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan and set to boil on high.
3. When the water boils, add the chicken stock cube, garlic, ginger, red chilli powder & turmeric to the split peas.
4. Once the mixture starts boiling again, lower the heat to simmer (I do between gas mark 2-3) and cover.
5. Let it boil for about 30 - 45 minutes, depending on how firm you like your split peas (30 for al dente, 45 for mushy). Stir it every 10 minutes or so to make sure it doesn't dry out. If its getting too dry, add some hot water.
6. Once the split peas become mushy, add the chopped cilantro, green chilli, salt and pepper. Stir & let it simmer for a few minutes (2-3). The soup is now ready!

Makes 3 regular-sized servings.

Serving suggestion: Serve with lime wedges, fresh chopped cilantro, and crusty sliced bread on the side.

Variations:

1. Use half a chicken stock cube for more flavor.
2. Use red lentils instead of split peas. You should only need to boil lentils for 15 minutes and it has almost the same nutritional values.

Here's a close approximation of the nutrition information:

Calories	216
Fat	0g
Carbohydrates	36g
Fiber	20g
Sugar	0g
Protein	18g