Split Pea and Bacon Soup is a hearty and delicious soup that is easy and simple to make. It is loaded with carrots, onions, and most of all bacon. This one pot dish is perfect for cooler fall nights.
I was an incredibly picky eater growing up. If it wasn’t chicken nuggets or a grilled cheese, I wanted very little to do with it. Looking back, I realize the how much I missed out on. Split pea soup, or chicharos, is one of those dishes. In truth it is a dish that I’ve come to love and I now make it regularly.
This post is not sponsored, but you will find affiliate links on this page. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but I may make a small commission based on your purchase.
Tips for Split Pea and Bacon Soup:
- I use a pressure cooker to make this dish, however it’s not necessary. The end result is a soup that is thick and creamy. It also has the added benefit of cutting the cooking time down to about 30 minutes. Win win!
- If you are going to forgo the pressure, you will need to soak the peas overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the peas. Proceed with the recipe as normal.
- I use bacon or ham in my soup. It add a needed saltiness and smokiness to the dish. You can also add a hard Spanish-style chorizo or ham hock.
- Feel free to load up on the vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, or butternut squash.
There’s just something about this dish that screams comfort. It also serves as a great pantry dish; perfect to always have on hand. I hope you like this dish as much as my family and I do. Enjoy!
Split Pea and Bacon Soup (Cuban Style Chicharos)
Ingredients
- ½ lbs bacon diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 lbs dried green split peas
- 6 cups chicken stock low sodium
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
Instructions
- Heat the pot of a 6-quart pressure cooker over medium heat.
- Cook the bacon in the pot until the fat has started to render and the bacon slightly cooked. Add the onions, garlic, and carrots to the pot. Saute the onions are soft and translucent. Add the split peas, chicken stock, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper to taste.
- Place the lid of the pressure cooker on the pot. Lock the lid and pressure valve. Pressurize according to manufacturers instructions.Once pressurized, cook on the split pea for 30 minutes.
- Once the 30 minutes has passed, allow the pressure cooker to depressurized. Serve immediately over rice. Enjoy!