Step 1

Put oregano and thyme into a tea strainer and immerse into boiling water for a few minutes.

Step 2

Rinse split-peas well, put them into a pot with oregano and thyme-infused water and regular water (use about 3 and ½ cups of liquid in total), two quarters of an onion, and a bay leaf.

Step 3

Simmer covered on a low heat until peas are completely soft.

Step 4

As the peas are cooking, chop an onion finely and saute it in a pan in olive oil until caramelised slightly.

Step 5

Place cooked peas on a sieve to drain excess liquid, keep the liquid in case the texture needs loosening up.

Step 6

Blend the peas and onion until smooth using an immersion blender. I prefer a milder onion taste so I blended only one quarter of an onion with the peas (and discarded the other quarter).

Step 7

Add lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Step 8

Serve warm, topped with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sauteed red onion and capers.