Give Peas A Chance

This was a throw-together recipe. I bought two ingredients on a whim last weekend: split peas because I’d like to start eating more meals in which meat is not the focus, and leeks because they’re beautiful and they’re delicious. Then there was the thick-cut pepper bacon left over from last weekend’s breakfast, and in my opinion thick cut pepper bacon could make most any recipe better. Add to all this a few carrots from the crisper, some chicken broth (or in my case chicken base which permanently resides in my fridge), some dried rosemary, and that’s dinner.







Of course for some reason when I told my husband we were having split pea soup and rolls for dinner his mind went to red-and-white Campbell’s cans and he was confused when I started staging ingredients and sharpening knives. In the midst of chopping carrots, crisping bacon, and washing peas, a certain toddler occupied himself with cheerios, feeding the dog one kibble at a time, and playing in the it-must-be-better-than-what-they-give-me-because-the-dog-drinks-it water from the dog bowl.



After you sauté the bacon set some of it aside for topping the bowls once this soup is dished up. Everyone in your family will love this soup. Hearty, warm, fragrant, savory – what else can I say, but give these peas a chance!



Recipe Notes: I did not need to add salt or pepper due to the bacon I used and perhaps an overexhuberance on the chicken base. If you taste yours and it needs salt or pepper, by all means add it. I served this with some yeast rolls from the freezer and a simple tossed salad of romaine, feta, cranberries, pecans, and balsamic vinegar. I always toss my salad in a big bowl before serving because I do not like to stir salad on a plate or in a bowl and have to chase escaped lettuce.

Split Pea Soup
6 servings

-1/3 lb bacon – thick cut peppered bacon preferred
-1 leek, chopped
-3 carrots, diced
-1 Tbsp dried rosemary
-6 c chicken broth
-12 oz. package of dried split peas

Cut the bacon into ½ inch pieces and sauté in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve 3 Tbsp bacon for garnish. Pour bacon grease from pan, leave 1-2 Tbsp of grease in pan. Add leeks and carrots to bacon grease in pot and sauté until leeks are soft, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth, rosemary, and split peas to pan, scraping brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Increase heat to high to bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Serve with ½ tsp bacon on top of each bowl for garnish.