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Rustic Split Pea Soup

A wholesome and hearty Rustic Split Pea Soup that's super simple to make and packed full of flavor. Made with healthy veggies, split peas and topped with a dollop of sour cream, crispy bacon, and parsley!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword easy split pea soup, healthy pea soup, split pea soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6 servings
Author Dena Norton

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup reserved bacon drippings (can sub ghee or avocado oil)
  • 1 cup chopped yellow onion (1/2 large onion)
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
  • 2 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 1 pound dried split peas
  • 1 (15 oz) can Northern Beans (don't drain)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 cups chicken stock or broth (Bonafide bone broth is my favorite store bought brand) (or up to 8 for a thinner soup)
  • 1-2 Tbsp additional stock/broth or white wine (optional - for deglazing if needed)

Garnish (optional)

  • 1 pound thin sliced bacon
  • sour cream
  • fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Melt reserved bacon drippings in a large Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, salt, pepper, and oregano, and saute over medium high heat until al dente, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook 1-2 more minutes, until garlic is fragrant. Can deglaze with 1-2 Tbsp white wine or additional broth if needed.
  • Meanwhile empty the can of Northern beans (with juice) into a small food processor or blender and puree until smooth. 
  • Add the pureed beans, split peas, and bay leaves to the Dutch oven, then gradually add the stock, stirring constantly as you pour to remove clumps.
  • Turn heat down to low, cover, and cook 30-45 minutes, or until everything is tender. Remove the lid, skim any foam or pea skins, and stir a couple of times during the cooking, making sure it's still at a low boil and adding additional chicken stock/broth if it's getting too thick for your liking. 
  • While the soup is cooking, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover 2 rimmed baking sheets with foil and place a cooling rack inside each foil lined baking sheet. Spread the bacon slices out evenly across the cooling racks and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crispy. Once bacon has cooled, break into pieces for garnishing the soup.
  • When the soup is done cooking, turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves. Topped with crumbled bacon, sour cream, and fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread.

Notes

  • If you like your split pea soup smooth, you can use an immersion blender to partially or fully puree the soup once cooked. Alternatively, you could transfer to blender in batches to puree it. 
  • The oven method for cooking bacon is my preferred method, but feel free to cook your bacon on the stove if you prefer. 
  • If you're in a hurry, try the Instant Pot version of this soup that's ready in just under 30 minutes!
  • If you don't have reserved bacon drippings on hand, cook the bacon first and use the drippings from that - 1 pound of bacon should give you the 1/4 cup called for in this recipe. 
  • Beef bacon (what I use), turkey bacon, or other bacon alternatives can also be used!
  • Like most soups, this one's even better the next day - it will thicken considerably overnight, so feel free to add some water or additional stock/broth when you reheat it.