Country Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Potatoes

Country Split Pea Soup with Bacon and Potatoes

3 tablespoons butter
1 large Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 ribs celery, sliced
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 pound dried green split peas
10 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons dry sherry
5 dashes Tabasco sauce
2 cooked Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
12 slices bacon, cooked until crisp (reserve some for garnish)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste

■ Melt the butter in a 6 to 8-quart pot over
medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery,
carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 7 to 10 minutes,
stirring frequently. Add the split peas and
chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat
to medium. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the split
peas are soft and tender.

■ Remove from the stove. Add the sherry
and Tabasco sauce. Puree the soup in the
pot using a hand blender or working in
batches with a regular blender until smooth.
Add the cooked potatoes and bacon. Stir to
combine thoroughly. Garnish each bowl with
crumbled bacon.

Makes 8 to 10 servings