Ingredients
2 qts water
2 one-inch vegetable bouillon cubes
3/4 cup YELLOW split peas
1 TBLSP olive oil
1 med. onion
1/2 of a 16 oz. bag of organic carrots (approximately 1 cup)
2-3 stalks organic celery plus leaf tops
1 large bay leaf
1 whole clove
Seasonings - 1/4 tsp. of the following:
marjoram
rosemary
savory
thyme
pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch of sage
1/3 cup chicken flavored textured vegetable protein, (dried granules)
1 TBLSP dried parsley
3 heaping cups or 1/2 bag noodles - wide or spaetzel noodles recommended
Salt to taste
Optional ingredients: pinch of saffron, shot of dry white wine.
Note: saffron, while expensive, is good for fighting colds, it's what makes this soup if you can swing it.

For this soup, you will need two pots, one large heavy bottomed soup pot, and a smaller 2 qt. saucepan.

In the saucepan, bring 1 qt. of water to a boil, add a 1" cube of vegetable bouillon, plus 1/4 tsp. rosemary. Add 3/4 cup yellow split peas, and simmer until very soft, about 30-45 minutes.

In the second pot, add 1 TBLSP olive oil and sauté the onion until it is translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté briefly. Add 1 qt. water, the bouillon cube and the chopped vegetables and seasonings. Simmer this mixture for 30 minutes. Add the textured vegetable protein and parsley and simmer 15 more minutes.

When the spit peas are very soft, let them cool for a few minutes and then puree the water and peas. You can use a hand blender, an upright blender, or if you are desperate, a potato masher. Add this golden broth to the vegetables in the soup pot and bring to a low boil. Add the noodles and cook for 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Remove clove and bay leaf.

Note: Use as many of the seasonings as your pantry and tastebuds can accommodate, and feel free to adjust. The TVP is not absolutely necessary, but it is what gives this soup a lot of its familiar appeal.
If you want to cut down further on fat in this already low fat soup, you can omit the olive oil and just throw the onions in the broth with the rest of the vegetables. You can make this soup in a crockpot this way. If you are not concerned with looks and presentation, you can throw all the ingredients except the TVP and noodles into one pot together and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, and then add the TVP and noodles for 15 more minutes of simmering to finish. Or throw it all in the crockpot, except the TVP and the noodles, which you have to add at the end or they get mushy. The noodles will absorb water if you store the soup in the refrigerator, but you can add more water or broth when you reheat if you want a more liquid soup. This freezes well.