5.0 from 3 votes
Split Pea Soup with Bacon
Creamy split pea soup, fragrant with garlic and dried marjoram, is a traditional Czech dish known as "Hrachová polévka." It often graces the Christmas table in the Czech Republic as part of the festive menu.
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 6
Calories: 333 kcal
Course:
Soup
Cuisine:
Czech
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups yellow split peas
- 5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup heavy cream fat content about 30%
- 4 ounces sliced bacon (or smoked meat/sausage)
- 6 handfuls Bread croutons
Instructions
- Pour 5 cups vegetable broth into a pot and add 1 ½ cups yellow split peas. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer until the peas are tender. This step usually takes 30-40 minutes.
- Blend the soft peas with an immersion blender, but not until completely smooth. The soup should be creamy with a slightly coarser texture.
- Add the 2 cloves garlic (minced) and 1 teaspoon dried marjoram to the soup. Rub the marjoram between your fingers before adding it to release its flavor.
- Add ½ cup heavy cream, then stir in 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Put the soup back on the stove, bring it to a boil, and then immediately set it aside without cooking any further.
- Cut 4 ounces sliced bacon into strips and fry them in a pan with melted lard until they are almost crispy.
- Serve the soup with bread croutons and fried bacon strips placed on top.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- SERVING:
- SERVING: Serve the split pea soup warm. Add a spoonful of fried bacon to each plate and toss in a handful of bread croutons just before serving to keep them from getting soggy.
- The soup is hearty and filling and can easily serve as a lighter stand-alone course. In our house, we traditionally enjoy it as a Czech Christmas soup.
- Instead of bacon, you can pan-fry cubes of smoked meat or sliced sausage. Alternatively, you can omit the meat part altogether.
- If you want to have the soup on the table quickly, make sure to use split peas, which do not need to be soaked beforehand.
- The soup is thickened by blending the peas, contains no flour, and is naturally gluten-free.
Nutrition Information
Calories
333kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
35g
(12%)
Protein
15g
(30%)
Fat
15g
(23%)
Saturated Fat
7g
(35%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
5g
Trans Fat
0.02g
Cholesterol
35mg
(12%)
Sodium
1327mg
(55%)
Potassium
553mg
(16%)
Fiber
13g
(52%)
Sugar
6g
(12%)
Vitamin A
802IU
(16%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
45mg
(5%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 333
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 333kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 35g | 12% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 35mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 1327mg | 55% |
| Potassium | 553mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 13g | 52% |
| Sugar | 6g | 12% |
| Vitamin A | 802IU | 16% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 45mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.