Split Pea Soup with Bacon

I’m on a hardcore soup kick lately.

Specifically, Split Pea Soup.

When it’s gloomy and cold outside, soup is my lunch of choice. I can easily eat it with one hand (hello, multitasking) and it is super soothing (hello, instant calm). I am in love with Split Pea Soup because of it’s simplicity. Dump veggies, peas, and liquid into a pot and simmer until thick and delicious.

It is literally the easiest recipe ever.

(!!)

While my mom makes an amazing Vegan Split Pea Soup, my dad always love the version that contains ham. I am not the biggest fan of ham, but I do love the earthy, saltiness that pork gives the soup. So I decided to use bacon instead! It gives the soup a nice oomph of flavor without big hunks of ham floating around.

This amazing soup starts with bacon!

I diced up three strips of bacon and cooked them in a large soup pot. When the bacon was crisp, I removed it from the pot to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. I drained off the excess grease, because we definitely don’t need it – this soup is naturally thick and creamy on its own!

Then I dumped in all the vegetables – diced onion, chopped celery, and sliced carrots.

And then I added the split peas!

*note: please pick through the peas… you don’t want your guest chomping down on a tiny pebble!*

Now pour over the liquid! Since I am adding bacon to the soup, I added a quart of low-sodium chicken broth to the pot. Then I added just enough water to cover the veggies/peas.

Then I popped in some slices of peeled potato. This will add as a thickener to the soup (plus who does not love potatoes and their high vitamin C content?).

Season the soup with salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried oregano, and a bay leaf. Then pop the lid on, bring the soup to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook (with the lid cracked) for an hour and a half to two hours until the soup is thick and the split peas are broken down.

A final step is to add in some fresh dill – it brightens up all the earthy flavors of the soup!

All that’s left is to dish it up…

… and garnish it with the bacon pieces.

YUM.

This is a lunch I can totally get behind.

Hearty, healthy, and perfect for the cold winter days.

So, what’s your go-to winter lunch?

oxox,

Catherine

Split Pea Soup with Bacon

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

2 hours

Total time

2 hours 10 mins

 

Simply A (RD) Fact: Split peas are a great source of dietary fiber, which is beneficial for digestive and heart health!

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 3 slices of bacon, diced
• 1-1lb bag of green split peas
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 pound carrots, sliced into thick rings
• 1 pound celery, sliced into half-moons
• 2 medium-sized russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½–inch rings
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• Water, to cover
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot set over medium heat, add in the bacon and cook until crisp. Remove the crisp bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all the bacon grease and discard.
2. Return the pot to medium-high heat and add the split peas, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic powder, dried oregano, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and chicken broth. Add in enough water to just cover the peas and vegetables. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for 1½-2 hours until the peas are broken down and the soup it thickened.
3. Add in the fresh dill and stir to combine. Serve immediately with the crisp bacon as a garnish. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 serving Calories: 258 calories Fat: 2gm Saturated fat: 0.5gm Carbohydrates: 50gm Sodium: 584mg Fiber: 14.5gm Protein: 12gm Cholesterol: 4mg

3.5.3226