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Fall has definitely arrived here in Eastern Iowa! The tomato and herb plants are all dead, and the fallen leaves are blowing around in the cold air. That means that soup weather has also arrived, and this year I am starting with Split Pea Soup. That may seem like a strange choice for someone that doesn’t like peas all that much, but there is also bacon!!
That’s right, there is bacon in the soup to give it it’s smokey flavor. This soup is also topped with crumbled bacon and homemade croutons…delicious!! Yes, I just said that Split Pea Soup is delicious, lol
Back in my Marie Callender’s days, Split Pea Soup was the least served soup that we had! By the end of the night, the smokey ham flavor was now burnt and overpowering…so obviously I never even tried it.
As I was searching for a starter for this month’s Cooking with Astrology Scorpio, soup was at the top of the list due to the cold temperatures. As I looked through my stack of British cookbooks, Split Pea Soup kept popping up. Then I remembered that line in the Prisoner of Azkaban, when the shrunken head told Harry, “If you have the pea soup, make sure you eat it before it eats you!” That sealed the deal. 😉
How to make Split Pea Soup:
Start by melting the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot. Add the bacon, carrots, onion, and celery…..
Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until vegetables start to soften. Add the chicken stock and peas and bring to a boil…..
Reduced heat, cover and simmer for one hour…..
Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Blend soup in blender or food processor until smooth…..
*If you do not have an extra large food processor, work in smaller batches.* Return soup to pot and stir in Greek yogurt…..
Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, and reheat if needed. Serve with crumbled bacon and homemade croutons, or in a Homemade Bread Bowl garnished with Greek yogurt and crumbled bacon…..
You know what else is delicious? Our celebrity date for this month’s meal…..
Aye mate, they do!!
This month’s Scorpio meal includes:
Rusty Nail Cocktail – Split Pea Soup – Cornish Pasties – Lemon Curd Tarts – Crunchy Garlic Croutons
Last year’s Scorpio meal:
Moroccan Butternut Squash Soup – Chicken Tagine with Olives & Lemons
Moroccan Orange Cake – Avocado & Date Smoothie
Enjoy!!
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup uncured bacon chopped
- 1/2 onion chopped
- 1 carrot diced
- 1 celery stick diced
- 1 Pound dry split peas rinsed
- 6 Cups organic chicken stock
- 4 Tablespoons Greek yogurt
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- croutons and crumbled bacon to garnish
Instructions
- Melt butter in a large pot/Dutch oven.
- Add the bacon, onion, celery, and carrot and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until they start to soften.
- Add the chicken stock and peas, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour until peas are soft.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
- Blend soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor until smooth.
- Return to pot and stir in Greek yogurt, salt and pepper, and reheat if needed..
- Serve with Homemade Croutons and crumbled bacon.
Notes
- Soup can also be served in Homemade Bread Bowls with Greek yogurt and crumbled bacon.
- Crunchy Garlic Croutons Recipe
Yum! This looks delicious Lisa! Perfect for the cold, snowy weather we are getting now!