Bacon bone and pea soup

One pot, a long slow simmer, and the meat pulled off the bones at the end.

Serves

6 people

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

2 hours

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Start with 1 kg of smoked bacon bones. That makes a big pot for six.

Leave the salt until the end. Bacon bones can make the soup salty on their own, so taste it before you add any.

Ingredients

• 1 kg smoked bacon bones
• 500 g dried green split peas
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 litres water
• 2 bay leaves
• Cracked black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the split peas in a sieve under cold water.
2. Put the bacon bones, peas, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves and water in a large pot.
3. Bring the pot to the boil over high heat, about 15 minutes. Skim off any foam.
4. Turn the heat to low. Simmer partly covered for 1 hour 40 minutes. Stir now and then so the peas do not stick.
5. Add a little water if the soup gets too thick. The peas must break down and the meat must come away from the bones.
6. Lift out the bones and let them cool for 5 minutes. Pull off the meat, shred it and put it back in the soup. Throw away the bones and bay leaves.
7. Taste the soup. Add pepper, and salt only if it needs it.

Serve it

Serve in deep bowls with buttered crusty bread.