the tastiest ugliest soup

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 & 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

Just because it's not the prettiest soup on the block, doesn't mean it's not tasty!

Print Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: Meme

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 slices center-cut bacon chopped {or 2 tsp 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 TBSP dried parsley
• ▢ 1/2 tsp dried thyme crushed
• ▢ 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1/2 tsp 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

*If you don't want to use bacon, skip the first two steps and use 2 tsp olive oil to sauté the vegetables.
*Nutrition Facts are calculated with bacon & optional vegetable bouillon cube.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to leave a comment & recipe rating below. Bonus points for tagging @memeinge & #livingwellkitchen on Instagram! THANK YOU! xo

Tomorrow, I have chili for you 🙂

Meme