This recipe for Yellow Split Pea and Bacon Soup is full of flavor and an easy alternative to traditional split pea and ham soup.
Split Pea Soup That’s Easy and Delicious!
Is there anything more comforting than a bowl of thick hearty soup? There’s something so wonderful about it that takes you right back to childhood.
My grandmother always made split pea soup using leftover ham bones (you can see my recipe for split peas and ham soup if that’s what you’re looking for) after a big family gathering.
I absolutely LOVED her soup, but let’s face it, sometimes we don’t have ham bones to work with.
I created this recipe which is a lot easier to prepare but doesn’t scrimp on flavor.
hearty comfort food. It’s packed with flavor and fills you up so this soup is an all-around win!
It’s so good that if you do make the classic split pea soup, you might just find yourself converting to this easier recipe!
How to Make Yellow Split Pea and Bacon Soup
In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, dry fry the bacon until golden brown (you can add a bit of oil if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
Add the onions and garlic to the pan and with the garlic until the onions are translucent, 5-10 minutes.
Add the carrots, celery.
Followed by the stock and split peas.
Add salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered (Skimming off any foam that forms foam while cooking) for 1 – 2 hours or until the peas start to break down. Check often and stir frequently to keep the soup from burning on the bottom.
If need be, thin out the soup with more stock before serving.
Serve and enjoy!
Cook’s Tips For Perfect Split Pea Soup:
- Leave a little fat on your bacon. It adds loads of flavor!
- On dry frying bacon – some lean bacon doesn’t brown well when dry frying. If it needs some help, just add a little oil.
- Have some extra stock on hand. Split pea soup thickens a lot and may need some thinning out.
- For extra pork flavor, make some stock using ham hocks and replace the chicken stock with ham stock.
- For an extra smokey flavor, use smoked bacon.
- Can’t find Yellow Split Peas? Green work just as well.
- Careful salting – Some bacon can be quite salty so you may want to wait to season the soup and taste at the end.
Top Tip:
- Over seasoned your soup? All is not lost. Acid neutralizes the salt. Add a teaspoon of white vinegar at a time and taste in between. You won’t taste the vinegar, but you’ll save the soup!
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Let's Make Yellow Split Pea and Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Thick sliced bacon or pancetta chopped
- 1 large yellow onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for sautéing
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 Celery Stalks diced
- 1 pound dried split yellow peas
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, dry fry the bacon until golden brown (you can add a bit of oil if it starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- If needed, add one-two tablespoons of olive oil, add the onions to the pan and with the garlic until the onions are translucent, 5-10 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, split peas, chicken stock, smoked paprika, and bay leaf.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered (Skimming off any foam that forms foam while cooking) for 1 - 2 hours or until the peas start to break down. Check often and stir frequently to keep the soup from burning on the bottom.
- Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.
Tips + Notes
- Leave a little fat on your bacon. It adds loads of flavor!
- On dry frying bacon - some lean bacon doesn't brown well when dry frying. If it needs some help, just add a little oil.
- Have some extra stock on hand. Split pea soup thickens a lot and may need some thinning out.
Nutrition Information:
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated in March of 2019 with slight changes to the recipe as well as new photos, nutritional information, tips, and a video.
A S says
Best split pea soup i’ve made to date! Thank you for the recipe!
Erren's Kitchen says
That is so great to hear! Thank you for trying it! 🥰