Easy Peas-y

I spent 4 hours today having dental work done, and the entire right side of my face is still numb.
In my misery, I decided to make soup.


Totally yummy split pea soup!


- I small bag of dried split peas (slightly over 2 cups) sorted for rocks and other non yummy things
- 8 or so cups of broth (I used chicken. Canned for time. 4 cans.)
- About 1/2 cup of diced salt pork and/or bacon (I used half of each.)
- 1 Tbsp butter (or olive oil. I recommend butter. Always.)
- One large onion diced
- 3 garlic cloved minced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2-3 bay leaves depending on size
(I don't measure my spices/salt/pepper/herb additions, and rather opt for taste... But this is the gist of the soup).
- 1 tsp Thyme
- 1 tsp Marjoram
- Nutmeg - just a smidge!

- Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- Heavy cream, optional
- Parsley - mostly to make it look pretty!

Saute the pork bits with butter in a large pot until pork bits are brown and crispy and you have a slightly scary amount of pork fatty goodness in the pan. Remove browned pork bits. Reserve pork fatty goodness.

Add onion and garlic, a pinch of salt and pepper, and as much pork fatty goodness (This is a hearty soup. Ignore calories for now, I promise you this is rich and delicious and you won't need to eat very much anyway.) as needed to coat the pot and make sure the onions don't stick and burn. Caramelize!

Once caramelized, add carrots and celery. Saute until fairly soft, then add spices, bay leaves, split peas, and chicken broth. Simmer until tender.*

*I didn't pre-soak or parboil (boil for a few minutes in water first, then drain off water and cook according to recipe), so while boiling at first then simmering, my batch took a little over an hour.

Once at the consistency of your choice serve, or...


Whip out your good old fashioned immersion blender and churn that sucker until at desired consistency. I left mine 2/3 creamy. You can also let cool a bit then process in a blender.


I also added a dash of heavy cream at the end for extra creamy richness. Check and taste again and adjust seasoning!


Top with reserved crispy pork bits, chopped fresh parsley, and homemade* croutons! Yum!

* I made my own croutons, as I can adjust the type of bread and seasonings, and they're just overall much better than any store bought kind. Just dice a baguette or any bread of choice into half inch or so cubes, then bake over low (300 degrees F) until crunchy. I toss mine with chopped herbs, namely parsley, melted butter, and kosher salt and pepper, then return to the oven to add a nice golden color.