Just because it's not the prettiest soup on the block, doesn't mean it's not tasty!
Remember the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover"?
Well, that saying couldn't be more true for split pea soup
Split pea soup has never been accused of being a pretty soup.
It looks like green mush...baby food, if you will
But it sure is tasty.
And it fills you up &Â keeps you full
Plus it has lots of veggies all blended in to it.
It's also topped with bacon {best part... duh}
or you can leave the bacon off for a high-protein vegetarian/vegan meal.
Oh and it's allergy free {no gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, shellfish, corn}.
So quit being judgmental and accept this soup for what it is: an ugly soup that just wants you to see it's true beauty. And you'll see that true beauty when you taste one creamy bite!
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 slices center-cut bacon chopped {or 2 teaspoon olive oil for vegetarian/vegan}
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dried split peas sorted for stones and rinsed
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme crushed
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a soup pot of Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel to absorb extra grease.
- Wipe bacon grease out of the pot {I like to leave a little bit for added flavor}*
- Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and sauté for 7 minutes, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
- Add in garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the peas, water, parsley, thyme, pepper, and bay leaf. {Do Not add the salt in this step}.
- Bring soup to a boil, partially cover, and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 60-90 minutes, until peas have softened. Be sure to stir occasionally.
- Stir in the salt and bouillon cube, if using. Simmer another 15-20 minutes.
- If you like your split pea soup chunky, leave as is. If you like a smoother consistency, remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency {or carefully transfer to a blender to blend}.
- Serve sprinkled with bacon. Enjoy!
Notes
*Nutrition Facts are calculated with bacon & optional vegetable bouillon cube.
Tomorrow, I have chili for you 🙂
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