Gluten Free Split Pea Soup Recipe
I happen to just love my homemade split pea soup. And it is no wonder. First I melt some bacon fat, sauté onions and carrots in it, then I cook the split peas with ham hocks and then to top it all off, I stir in lots of heavy cream and crispy bacon. Delicious but also loaded with lots of unhealthy fat!
A recent yearly check up at the doctor’s revealed that my cholesterol levels were just a touch on the high side. Fortunately my “good cholesterol” is high as well as the bad so it is not such a dire situation, my doctor told me just to cut back a bit on animal fat.
If I have to cut back a bit on animal fat that means I have to be very, very judicious. I can skip whipped cream on my gluten free brownies but must keep my heavy cream in my morning cup of coffee. I will happily dip my gluten free French bread in a touch of olive oil mixed with balsamic instead of slathering it with butter. But give up pork fat altogether? Yikes, that’s a hard one. The solution is to make it count!
I made a few changes to my gluten free split pea soup recipe – I sautéed the veggies in just a touch of olive oil, left out the ham hocks using instead Hurst Family Harvest’s Split Pea Soup Mix with its gluten free flavor packet that has all the natural smoky flavor I want without all the fat, ditched the cream all together and I used my bacon very, very judiciously!
To be judicious with bacon, first you have to use a whole lot less and secondly, if you are using less, you want to get all the bang for your fat/calorie/cholesterol buck possible. The trick is to make sure the bacon isn’t hidden in the mix. Put it right on top of the soup, like a crouton, so you can really taste it! And to get every speck of fat out of the bacon that you can, dice it into small pieces before frying, it cooks out much more of the fat and each and every piece is a crispy little savory delight.
Healthier eating is all about making small changes. And you want to know the truth? I actually prefer the flavor of this new, lighter version! I can really taste every component; it is not just one big bowl of pork fat flavor – it’s much fresher and cleaner tasting. Everything may be better with bacon but it doesn’t mean you have to use a whole lot of bacon for it to be better! This is one time that less really is more!
Now if bacon is not your thing or you want to keep this recipe vegan, leave it off! If you do that, this soup is practically fat free. But it is still wonderful and warms you, body and soul.
Gluten Free Split Pea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white or yellow onion , chopped
- 2 - 3 medium carrots , peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 package Hurst Family Harvest Split Pea Soup Mix
- 7 cups water
- 5-6 dashes hot sauce (like Tabasco)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt & pepper if needed
- 4 strips bacon
- 4 green onions , sliced thinly
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a soup pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and carrots and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Rinse and drain the split peas and add to the pot along with the seasoning packet and 7 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 45 minutes. Add hot sauce, lemon juice, and some salt and pepper to taste if needed. Cook for 10 more minutes.
- While the soup is cooking, cut the bacon into small, ¼ inch pieces. Put into a cold frying pan; turn on the heat to medium and cook, stirring often until the bacon is very browned and crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and drain well.
- Serve soup garnished with bacon bits and green onion slices.
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe? Give it a star rating and let us know your thoughts in the Ratings & Reviews section below.
This looks fantastic!!!!! I will be sure to give this a try!
Hey, I was wondering…I’m new-ish to your site and wondered when/how you announce your giveaway winners? I noticed my comments are still awaiting moderation even though I posted them yesterday. Just curious! Sorry to be a bother!
No bother April! I have a little backlog going on getting through the comments over there – sorry! We email the winners and post them as well. I usually pick them within a couple days of the end of the month. Good luck! And the soup is pretty amazing!
I love split pea soup. I have never made it at home, I didn’t realize it was so easy. Thanks for the recipe and while the one with all the fat in it sounds good too, I think this one is better!
Thanks Joy, yes it is easy. Enjoy!
I could go for a bowl of this right now!
Thanks Karen – it is pretty tasty! And I am thinking oif having a bowl for breakfast :)
This does sound great! Rendering out the fat and sauteing in it is a terrific way to get the bacon flavour through the whole dish, Yumm…
Good luck with your cholesterol!
Thank you! I am working on bring down those numbers :)
I haven’t had (or thought about) split pea soup in years but this post reminded me how much I like it. I bought the stuff, made it and it was wonderful. I liked the bowl clean :) The little bacon chips were perfect. Thanks.
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This looks delicious – I do not know if our local store has the Hurst Family Harvest Split Pea Soup Mix – Is there another substitute or does it really need to be this brand? Thanks so much – I am hoping to make this soon. :)
Hi Kiwe, I like this brand because I know the seasoning packet is gluten free. If your store doesn’t carry it, ask them to or you could always use split peas and add your own seasoning, about 2 cups of split peas.
I do not eat pork what can i use as substitute
How about turkey bacon? I use that often.