Very Simple Split Pea Soup

I made split pea soup last night, with a bit of a made-up recipe I got by using two parts of two Split Pea Soup recipes out of the absolutely fabulous How To Make Everything Vegetarian cookbook.
I started by chopping two carrots and a shallot, frying in a neutral oil until browned and soft. I added 2 cups of split peas (rinsed and drained), three vegetarian bullion cubes and 6 cups of water.

After it had boiled, I turned down the heat and let it cook 20 - 30 minutes, during which I added salt and pepper, then got creative and threw in a pinch of ground mustard, some powdered garlic and some seaweed. When I walked away from the stove for a while, Matt grated some cheese into it.
When the peas were soft, I spooned up a big mug o' soup. It had ended up tasting more like a stew, very savory and filling. This stuff is the perfect thing for a chilly night.