Recipe: Yellow Pea Soup with Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, and Parsley

Every Thursday on the Good Food Blog we share a recipe from our archives.

Helene Henderson is the author of The Swedish Table. She first shared this recipe for Yellow Pea Soup with Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, and Parsley on June 4, 2005.

Yellow Pea Soup with Bacon, Cherry Tomatoes, and Parsley

Serves 6-8

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil

• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped

• 1 celery stalk, chopped

• 2 cups dried yellow split peas (1 lb), soaked overnight

• 4 cups chicken broth (1 quart)

• 2 cups water

• 1 dried bay leaf

• 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, chopped fine

• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

• 6 slices bacon, preferably apple-wood smoked, cooked crisp and crumbled

• Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a medium pot, combine olive oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, about 5-8 minutes.

2. Add peas, broth, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook according to package directions or until peas are tender, about 1 hour. Add more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Using an immersion blender (or a conventional blender) process soup until smooth. The soup will be very thick: thin soup by adding water or broth if desired.

4. While peas are cooking, mix tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Ladle soup into bowls, add a generous tablespoon of marinated tomatoes in the center, and sprinkle with cooked bacon.