Lighter Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon, sliced crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 medium carrots or 2 large, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, trimmed and diced
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced lengthwise and then crosswise into ¼-inch half moons
• 1 tsp. Vanns Thyme
• ½ tsp. Vanns Rosemary
• 1 lb. dried split peas, rinsed
• 3 quarts chicken stock or water
• 1 Vanns Bay Leaf
• Vanns Kosher Salt, to taste
• Vanns Black Tellicherry Peppercorns, freshly ground, to taste
• Vanns Smoked Spanish Paprika, to taste

Preparation

1. Heat a large pot, at least 4 quarts, over medium heat. When hot, add the chopped bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until bacon is crisp and golden and all the fat has been rendered. Remove the bacon pieces from the pot with a slotted spoon and reserve.
2. Keeping the pot over medium heat, add the diced onion and sweat until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the diced carrot, celery, leeks, thyme, and rosemary, and saute over medium heat until beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add the thyme and rosemary and saute until fragrant, about 1 more minute. 
3. Add the split peas and stir to combine with the vegetables, and then add the stock or water, the reserved bacon pieces, bay leaf, and a hearty pinch of kosher salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping the bottom of the pot to get any browned bacon pieces incorporated into the soup, and then lower the heat to maintain a steady, low simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour, or until peas are soft and tender.
4. When peas are cooked, remove the pot from heat. Remove the bay leaf and transfer 2 cups of the soup to the bowl of a blender or a hand blender vessel. Allow to cool slightly, so that any splashes that escape aren’t scalding temperature, and then blend until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot of soup and stir to combine. Season with kosher salt and ground tellicherry peppercorns to taste. Serve sprinkled with smoked Spanish paprika.

Serves 8.

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