← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 400 g green split peas, rinsed
• 150 g smoked bacon or lardons
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Leek, sliced
• 2 Carrot, chopped
• 1 Celery, chopped
• 2 Bay leaves
• 3 sprigs Thyme
• 1.75 l water or light stock
• 100 g frozen peas (optional)
• 2 slices slices of bread, for croutons, cubed
• 1 tbsp chervil or parsley, chopped
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. Cook the bacon in the oil in a large pot over medium heat for 5 min until the fat runs. Lift out a few pieces for garnish.
2. Add the onion, leek, carrot and celery and cook for 8 min until soft.
3. Add the split peas, bay, thyme and water. Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer half-covered for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the peas have collapsed. Add the frozen peas for the last 5 min for a brighter colour.
4. Remove the bay and thyme stalks and blend until very smooth, adding a little hot water if it is too thick. Season.
5. Fry the bread cubes in a little oil or bacon fat for 3–4 min until golden. Serve the soup with croutons, the reserved bacon and herbs.

Tips

• Unlike dried beans, split peas need no soaking, though a quick rinse removes dusty starch.
• Skip the bacon and use vegetable stock with a pinch of smoked paprika for a vegan version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

La Cuisine de Géraldine Enriqueta Lemoine French Cooking Academy