Curried Split Pea Soup

This started off as a pretty boring split pea soup recipe that I couldn't help but experiment with. Only problem (IS it a problem?) is that everything I experiment with somehow turns into curry. I'm also aware that this bowl of brown goop with carrots is beginning to look awfully familiar. Oops. :) So in case you like brown goop with carrots, here's what I came up with:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 medium carrots, sliced (about 2 cups)
4-5 cups of water (use 4 at first, add more if it's evaporating too fast for the peas to cook)
1 cup dried green split peas
2 chipotle chiles, chopped (dried red chilies work well too)
2 medium potatoes, cubed (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cube bouillon
1-2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger or ginger powder
salt to taste

toppings:
raisins
sliced almonds

1. Heat the oil in a 3-4 quart saucepan, saute the onion and garlic on medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots and continue cooking and stirring occasionally for another 3-5 minutes. Add the water, peas, and chipotles (if desired).

2. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, until the peas are tender (about 30-40 minutes), stirring occasionally.

3. When the peas are tender, add the potatoes, bouillon cube, curry powder and ginger and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. By now the split peas should be pretty mushy. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with raisins and sliced almonds and serve with slices of crusty multigrain bread and fresh pineapple.