PERUVIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH BACON AND EGG

Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Egg is a delicious hearty soup that’s simple to prepare using only 5 ingredients. It’s served with a fried egg on top then sprinkled with crispy bacon bits. Now that's a meal!

Maybe this isn’t your grandmother’s version of a split pea soup, but it’s my Grandmother’s. My abuelita made some pretty awesome soups.

There are only 5 ingredients (water, salt, and pepper not included as ingredients) and it’s basically considered peasant food without the bacon. However, crispy bits of bacon takes this from rags to riches.

Is Peruvian peasant food delicious? I believe it’s SUPER delicious! This split pea soup is considered peasant food because of its simplicity and limited ingredients.

You don’t need anything but a bag of split peas (super inexpensive), onions, garlic, bacon, eggs, salt, pepper, and WATER. Yes, water. Stock isn’t needed. Believe it or not, you’ll get all the flavor you need from the onions and garlic cooked in bacon fat.

If you're so inclined to use stock, then use low sodium chicken stock. I love this soup as my Grandmother - my abuelita - Mama Maria, made it.

My Mom didn’t have much growing up in Peru but they survived with my Grandmother’s ability to turn the few simple ingredients they had into a great meal. When I asked my Mom for this recipe, she told me that it was basically split peas, onions, garlic, salt, and water, I was surprised.

“That’s it?”

“Well, if we had pepper, your grandmother would add it and if we had eggs she would fry them and place them on top and it was delicious!”

And delicious it was.

BACON TAKES THIS SPLIT PEA SOUP TO THE NEXT LEVEL

When my Mom made it for us growing up, she added diced bacon and that took it over the top. We're moving on up!

The bacon is diced, then cooked for about ten minutes until they're crispy delicious bits. The fat that has rendered is used for sautéing the onions. You'll only need two tablespoons or so.

What to do with the remaining bacon fat? Save it for frying eggs or use it to make breakfast potatoes. Use it to substitute for oil when making something delicious.

USE THE BEST INGREDIENTS

I'm fortunate to live near a farm that sells their own bacon an it's quite good. It's a thicker cut too. I've made this with a thinner cut for crispier bits. Just use a good quality bacon. YOU ARE WORTH IT.

Again, feel free to substitute chicken stock for the water, and if you want to add your favorite spices, go ahead. I find the simplicity of this dish to be satisfying just as it is and it could be also the nostalgia that goes with it.

Everyone combines food with a memory and that's what makes it special. This is peasant food at its best.

Life is too short for mediocre food.

SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH BACON AND EGG

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My Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Egg makes a hearty delicious meal. Perfect on a cold night or any night. Serve with a poached or fried egg on top and crispy bacon.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Natalie Gregory

Equipment Used

5.5 quart dutch oven

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon diced - See NOTES 1
• 2 cups diced onions I use sweet onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic about 6 - 8 cloves
• 2 quarts water See NOTES 2
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt or salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1 pound dried split green peas rinsed and picked over
• 6 large eggs
• reserved bacon fat for frying eggs

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Instructions

FRY BACON:

• In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered and it's crispy. About ten minutes. You'll notice a fond - brown bits - forming on the bottom of the pot. That's flavor.
• Transfer the bacon into a bowl lined with a paper towel then set aside. Try not to eat it all before you finish the dish.

MAKE SOUP:

• Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan. You can eyeball it. A little more won't hurt. It's just more flavor. Save the remaining bacon fat. We'll use that for frying eggs later.
• Add the onions and cook over medium heat until they're softened and golden. We want them sweet which should take about 5 -8 minutes. You'll notice as you fry and stir the onions, the fond on the bottom dissolves into the onions. Flavor, flavor, flavor.
• Add the minced garlic and sauté until they start to become fragrant.
• Add the water, peas, salt, and pepper. You'll adjust for seasonings when it's done before serving.
• Bring everything just to a boil then lower to a simmer on low for about an hour or more, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Peas should be softened and falling apart. If you are simmering on low, the consistency should be fine. Otherwise, add more water as needed.
• Adjust for seasonings, it may need a bit of kosher salt. Remember you will be adding the egg and bacon bits which will give more salt and flavor.
• Stir in the bacon bits into the soup. Remember to reserve some for garnishing the soup. Taste and adjust for seasoning.

FRY THE EGGS:

• Add a bit of oil or use the reserved bacon fat to a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Fry the egg and let the edges get crispy. Tilt the pan slightly and spoon a little fat around and over the yolk, if desired, to cook the yolk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the split pea soup into a bowl, place a fried egg on top, then sprinkle with some bacon bits. Enjoy.

Notes

1: Have the bacon slightly frozen for ease of chopping.

2: Low sodium chicken stock can be used instead of the water or you can use half stock, half water.

The soup will thicken as it sits. When heated up, it will loosen slightly again. You can add some water to loosen the consistency.

Save any leftover bacon fat in a jar then cover and refrigerate it to use for frying or sautéing.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @thegeneticchef and use #thegeneticchef and tell me all about it!