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 either a poached or fried egg on top then sprinkled with crispy bacon bits.
Maybe this isn’t your grandmother’s version of a split pea soup, but it’s my grandmother’s. It’s considered peasant food because of its simplicity and limited ingredients. There are only 5 ingredients (water, salt, and pepper not included) 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. 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.
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.
When my Mom made it for us growing up, bacon was added and that took it over the top. We're moving on up!
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 is what makes it special. This is peasant food at its best.
You’ll love my other soups:
- Hearty hamburger soup
- Thick hearty lentil vegetable soup
- Thick hearty beef barley soup
- French lentil soup with bacon
- Chicken and rice soup
- Sweet potato vegetable soup
- Simple silky smooth gazpacho
- Homemade chicken soup
- Potato leek soup
- Silky smooth cauliflower soup
- Beef cabbage soup
- Peruvian shrimp soup
Life is too short for mediocre food.
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Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Egg
PRINT PINIngredients
- 1 pound bacon slightly frozen for ease of chopping
- 2 cups diced onions I use sweet onions
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic about 6 - 8 cloves
- 2 quarts water *See Notes
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 1 pound dried split green peas rinsed and picked over
- 6 large eggs
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium high heat, sauté the bacon until the fat is rendered and it's crispy. About ten minutes.
- 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.
- Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.
- 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.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté until they start to become fragrant.
- Add the peas and stir to combine.
- Add the water, 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 flavor.
- Add a bit of oil or use reserved bacon fat to a cast iron or nonstick skillet. Fry the egg and let the edges get crispy. Spoon a little fat over the yolk, if desired, to cook yolk. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowl and place a fried egg on top then sprinkle with some bacon bits.
Notes
The soup will thicken as it sits. When heated up, it will loosen slightly again. You can add some water to loosen the consistency.
Lydia Vasey
I remember this soup was much soupier and we would eat it with a spoon. If it was thicker then it was a "segundo" (second dish) and we would eat it with a fork. Either way, it was delicious.
Thank you Natalie for bringing back such good memories.