Russian Pea Soup with Smoked Chicken

Separate the meat from the bones of the half smoked chicken. Reserve the bones for the broth and set the meat aside for later.

Place the chicken bones in a large pot.

Thoroughly rinse the yellow split peas under cold water.

Add the rinsed peas and 3 liters of cold water to the pot with the chicken bones.

Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.

While the soup comes to a boil, prepare the vegetable sauté (zajarka). Heat avocado oil in a separate skillet over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and sauté until fragrant. Then add the shredded carrots and chopped bell pepper. Cook until the vegetables have softened.

Once the soup pot is boiling, add the bay leaf. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 50 minutes.

While the soup simmers, peel and chop the potatoes into bite-sized pieces.

After 50 minutes, use tongs to remove the chicken bones from the pot.

Add the chopped potatoes to the soup. Bring it back to a boil and cook for 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, separate any remaining meat from the cooked chicken bones and discard the bones.

Add the sautéed vegetables (zajarka) to the soup pot and cook for another 7 minutes.

Add all the reserved smoked chicken meat back into the soup.

Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Be careful not to over-salt, as the smoked chicken is already salty.

Stir in the freshly chopped dill.

Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup rest for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.