I am about to share with you how I cook split pea soup, which is very popular in my house. But first I would like to take a moment and praise soups in general.

Most soups are hearty and healthy. Loaded with grains and veggies like carrots, onions, tomatoes, celery, green beans, mushrooms, garlic and parsley, soups are a great source of many essential vitamins and nutrients. Most are high in fiber, which is not only good for digestion, but also keeps you satiated long after you eat it.

Soups are good all year round, but in the winter, soups are especially suitable. They keep you warm and nourished. On a cold winter day, soup is an ideal meal for lunch. Bone or vegetable broth based – nothing can be better than a hot bowl of soup and a slice of whole wheat bread to get you through the day without feeling hungry.

Growing up in a cold climate, I remember eating soups every day. Most of the soups were bone broth based. I rarely use traditional bone broth now, influenced by bad cholesterol publicity. However, bone broth is coming back because of collagen and it’s healing properties.

Both bone and vegetable broths are easily made at home. There is no need to buy those cartons of salty water at the store. If I choose to use bone broth for my soup, I usually prepare it the day before I cook the actual soup since it takes 8 to 14 hours of low heat simmering.

Let’s cook split pea soup now.

An enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch Oven with a lid is my choice for cooking pea soup and slow simmering in general.  Its light-colored interior makes it easy to see into for simmering process.

We need 3 cups of split peas (2 green and 1 yellow), 1 big sweet onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 big carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 parsley root, 1 potato, 1/4 cup of olive oil, bouquet garni (2 sprigs of lemon thyme, two sprigs of oregano, two bay leaves, dill), 1 slice of lemon, 10 olives, salt and paper to taste, smoked bacon (optional) and leeks (optional).

Split peas (both green and yellow) should be previously soaked in 4 cups of water in a casserole for a couple of hours or more before we start cooking the soup.

When peas are soft, add approximately 10 cups of water (or chicken or bone broth) to soaked split peas and bring them to a boil. Add bouquet garni, salt and pepper to taste and let it all simmer for about 30 min.

Meanwhile, dice and sauté sweet onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and parsley root in olive oil for up to 10-15 min.

Remove bouquet garni and skim the foam from casserole. As it continues simmering, add sautéed vegetables, peeled and diced potato, a slice of lemon, and a few olives to the saucepan with the peas, bring to a boil stirring, and lower the heat.

Let it simmer for another 30 min, occasionally stirring to keep the peas from burning on the bottom. Turn off the heat and let the soup stand for at least an hour. If it gets too thick, add some bone or vegetable broth, or boiling water.

You can purée it or serve it straight. I prefer the latter.

This velvety soup is perfect when sprinkled with hot homemade crispy bacon cracklings on top and toasted bread on the side. Sautéed leeks on top are also an option.

Bacon cracklings are easy to make. Cut smoked bacon with the skin and fry with a bit of olive oil and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper until crispy but not burnt. Sprinkle on top of pea soup while serving.

Chilled beer goes well with this rich and delicious soup.

Stay warm!

P.S. All the food featured in this post has been prepared and photographed by me.