Split Pea & Bacon Soup

I love me some split pea soup and it’s honestly been on my bucket list to learn to make.

The Instant Pot made it SO easy.

I like mine peppery so often use 1 tsp black pepper – feel free to adjust to your taste.

Definitely staying in our rotation!

The kid claims he’s never had split pea soup – not sure how this can be real as stopping to eat at Pea Soup Anderson’s in Buellton was one of my favorites (now “temporarily” closed)!!! . But he liked it.

YUM, YUM, YUM!!!

TIPS: For a creamy version, hit w/ an immersion blender after Step 9. Or sub 1/2 cup diced, cooked ham for the bacon (adding it all in Step 5 instead of leaving any aside).

Split Pea & Bacon Soup

Ingredients

• 12 oz (pre-cooked weight) cooked bacon bits (see my Bacon Bits recipe)
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 32 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 16 oz dried split peas, rinsed and sorted
• 3/4 tsp freshly ground sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Follow Bacon Bits recipe Instant Pot directions then set bacon bits aside, leaving bacon drippings in bottom of inner pot.
2. On Sauté – Normal function for Instant Pot, add diced onion, diced carrots, and diced celery and cook about 5 mins, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened.
3. Add 1 tsp garlic and 1/2 tsp thyme, continuing to cook for 30 secs to 1 min (don’t let garlic burn!), then select CANCEL.
4. Stir in 32 oz broth and 2 cups water and deglaze pot (fancy phrase for scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot – I find that a wood paddle works best for this).
5. Add 16 oz split peas, 1/2 of bacon bits, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper and mix well.
6. Secure lid and set to Sealing.
7. Select Pressure Cook (or Manual) for 8 mins.
8. When cooking is complete, use natural release (fancy way of saying *do nothing*) for 10 mins, then set to Venting to quickly release any remaining pressure.
9. Remove lid, facing away from you, and stir soup, then select CANCEL.
10. Allow to set for about 15 mins to thicken.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories	395
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g	15%
Saturated Fat 4.9g	25%
Cholesterol 49mg	16%
Sodium 910mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate 35.6g	13%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g	9%
Total Sugars 1.4g
Protein 33.2g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 14mg	1%
Iron 0mg	2%
Potassium 80mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.

#Whole30