Oh the problems with trying to recipe test when you are sick! I wanted to do a post on my conversion to liking split pea soup. I figured it any cookbook could make me like it, it would be Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen: Cookin’ for Trouble published by Random House of Canada. Reg also got super sick and he loves split pea soup so I thought it would be great comfort food for him. Sometimes you just should not cook when you aren’t feeling well.
I divided the recipe in half but will write it in full for you. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat and fry 4 slices of finely diced bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel.
I had to add more oil since my turkey bacon is quite lean, as well as 1 tbsp of unsalted butter. Then I added 1 finely chopped onion. You can tell by this photograph that my hands are shaking from already being exhausted. I don’t know how many dishes I have broken in the last month! Anyway, saute onions for about 8 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with 8 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Add in 2 cups of rinsed dried yellow split peas.
Also add 2 finely diced carrots and 1 finely diced rib of celery. Stir and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the split peas are tender. Then stir in 1 tbsp of maple syrup.
I personally had to keep adding broth because it kept drying out. In the end, it still got very clumpy. As a traditional non-split pea fan I was not sure what the consistency was supposed to be but according to Reg, this was more of a stew than a split pea soup.
Also, it turns out he does not like the flavour of bacon in his split pea soup. Crap! I had a feeling he would not like the addition of maple syrup and I tend not to like sweet in savoury, so I think it was a wise move not to add it. As a result though, I found this very plain and one note and Reg could not even eat it, it was way too thick and the bacon flavour too strong.
I had the best of intentions with this recipe, hoping to change my opinion of this soup and make something Reg loves and failed on both accounts. Why did this happen? Could be me, could be the recipe… who knows? This is one recipe test that ended up being inconclusive.
All I do know is I need a little more strength before I am cooking with steady hands and somewhat clear mind in the kitchen again. Pneumonia is unbelievably draining and challenging to recover from. I hope I do better next time.
I’m sorry you’re not feeling well. I often have that problem with split pea soup. In fact, I have one I’m going to post in a week or so, and I had to add extra vegetable broth to get the consistency I like in a split pea soup – nice and creamy. I hope you’re on the mend now. Have a happy, healthy new year!
I don’t think it’s you at all Suzie, the recipe is pretty standard (I think most use ham instead of bacon though). You could easily leave out the meat if it’s too overpowering. Clearly the liquids were not enough for the amount of peas.
I do love Nadia, but really…what’s up with adding maple syrup to everything. She’s seems to be doing a lot of that lately. Must be the Quebecer in her lol….