Old Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Bacon

4 from 1 vote

Warm up with a classic! This Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Bacon is hearty, filling, and perfect for cold weather.

Prep Time15

Cook Time4

Total Time4 15

Course: Dinner Recipes

Cuisine: American

Servings: -12 servings

Calories: 246kcal

Author: Laura

1 pound split peas
2-3 quarts water
3 quarts chicken or vegetable broth
1 pound bacon
2 cups chopped carrots--use as much as you like or have on hand
2 cups chopped celery-use as much as you like or have on hand
1-2 cups chopped onion again use what you like
1 TBSP Italian Seasoning--start with 2 teaspoons and add as much as you like before serving

wash the split peas and rinse clean, pick out any gross looking beans OR rocks and dirt
in a large dutch oven cover the peas with water and bring to a quick boil then reduce the heat and let them cook for an hour cover them
once they're starting to soften up, about an hour in or so pour off the cooking water, add fresh water swirl to rinse, pour it off and add enough water back to cover them cooking them for about 30 minutes
prep your vegetables if you need to
cut the bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry it in a deep frying pan
after 5 minutes add the chopped vegetables and saute for 10 minutes
add 2 cups of broth to deglaze the pan, scrape up any browned bits and remove it from the heat
pour the cooked vegetables into the peas
add enough of the broth to make it as thick as you like add the Italian seasonings and bay leaf
cook until the peas are soft and the soup is thick, adding more broth as desired
taste for salt and pepper add as needed
add more Italian seasonings if desired