*I could not find dried, but I did find a canned version w/the Mexican food at our grocery store - worked just as good. Place 5 cups water in large pot. Add all ingredients except for crushed tomatoes. Stir and cover. Cook on medium low heat 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally. May need to add more water as it is cooking. When peas are done, add in tomatoes. Add in potato flakes if you want a thicker soup. Cook an additional 15-30 minutes and serve. This was so easy and so good. The chiles give it a smoky flavor without the traditional way of adding a ham bone. They also made it a little warm too. I served with french bread. My husband loved it, but the kids didnt seem too interested - my oldest daughter (11) said it looked like baby food, but they did clean their bowls though. I froze leftovers for another meal - it made plenty. Posted to fatfree digest V97 #275 by "Baumbach, Dawn" on Nov 24, 1997