Bacon, Potato And Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 6 rashers of bacon, cut into 1in strips
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 450g yellow split peas
• 1.5L chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 700g potatoes (usually 1/4 of a bag)

Method

1. Fry the bacon in a large pot over a medium heat.
2. Once the bacon has browned, add the chopped onion and garlic to the pot and fry for another 5 minutes until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the chicken stock, split peas, bay leaf and a hearty amount of pepper. Keep on a medium heat.
4. Whilst the soup is heating, peel and cut the potatoes into 1in cubes. Once the potatoes are chopped, add them to the pot. Cover the pot, turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Once it’s come to the boil, turn the heat down to low and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
5. Once 45 minutes has passed, check the peas are very soft. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. If you don’t have a blender, this works as a stew. Season and serve. If you have a blender, fish out the bay leaf and blend, then season and serve.