• Bring water to boil in large pot
• Wash and drain split peas and add to water. Once water starts to boil, lower to a medium heat to simmer and cover
• Peel and chop vegetables. I like to chop potatoes as big as possible so they do not fall apart in soup. Set aside until ready to add in soup.

Dumplings

• In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar and salt. You do not need to cream it, just be sure its well combined in.
• Add essence and mix again
• Add cinnamon and nutmeg and combine again
• Add milk. This will make you mixture look lumpy, but that's OK! It will come together it the end, just mix as best as you can.
• Add flour and oats and mix until combined into a rough dough (you may need to use your hands). If dough sticky add more flour. You can give it a taste but beware this is raw dough. I like to taste to see if I need more sugar, spices etc.
• Break off pieces of dough and using your hands roll into a ball. You can make them however big or small you like, but a medium sized ball should give you 9-10 dumplings.

Back to Soup

• When peas are cooked add your pumpkin, chicken, onion and herbs.
• Add the rest of vegetables when pumpkin and chicken are cooked.
• Add the soup packet and stock cube when the potatoes and carrots are cooked, then add your dumplings by dropping them in one by one. Your soup should be bumbling gently (with cover) so as to not destroy the dumpling/potatoes. Dumplings should take 15-20 minutes to cook. Once cooked you're done! You can give it a taste and add another stock cube if needed.