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    Home » Recipes » Soups

    Split Pea Soup with Bacon

    Published: Nov 14, 2021 · Modified: Dec 9, 2024 by Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs · 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
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    Creamy split pea soup, fragrant with garlic and dried marjoram, is a traditional Czech dish known as "Hrachová polévka." It often graces the Christmas table in the Czech Republic as part of the festive menu.

    Yellow split pea soup.

    The soup is made from dried peas, which are peeled and split in half. Peas processed in this way can be easily cooked and are ideal for creating quick and filling meals.

    MY TIP: Try also this Czech green pea soup (hrášková polévka); it tastes fantastic!

    ➜ Pronunciation

    The Czech name of this soup is "hrachová polévka." To give you an idea of how to pronounce this Czech word, I have recorded a short audio clip for you.

    ➜ Ingredients

    Czech split pea soup hrachová polévka ingredients

    For split pea soup, you need:

    • Yellow split peas; buy a packet that says it doesn't need to be pre-soaked. I would recommend checking the peas for dirt and then rinsing them in water.
    • Broth; beef, chicken, or vegetable. It can be cold or hot.
    • Dried marjoram; a typical Czech spice!
    • Garlic; fresh
    • Black pepper; ground
    • Salt
    • Heavy cream; containing at least 30 % fat
    • Bacon; sliced. Optionally, smoked meat or sausage.
    • Lard; or table oil

    Next, get the bread croutons ready. You can eat the soup without them, but it will be missing something.

    ✅ You’ll find the exact amount of ingredients below in the recipe card, which you can also print out.

    ➜ Instructions

    STEP 1: Pour the broth into a pot and add the split peas. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer until peas are tender. This step usually takes 30-40 minutes.

    STEP 2: Blend the soft peas with an immersion blender, but not until smooth. The soup should be creamy but with a coarser texture.

    STEP 3: Add the grated garlic and dried marjoram. Rub the marjoram between your fingers before adding.

    Making Czech split pea soup - hrachova polevka.

    STEP 4: Add heavy cream to the soup—mix, salt, and pepper. Put the soup back on the stove. Bring it to a boil and then immediately set it aside, do not cook any further.

    Pouring heavy cream in split pea soup.

    STEP 5: Cut the bacon slices into strips and fry them in a pan in melted lard until almost crispy.

    Frying bacon strips in a pan.

    ➜ Serving

    Serve the split pea soup warm, add a spoonful of fried bacon to the bowl and throw in a handful of bread croutons. Add these to the soup just before serving; otherwise, they will get soggy.

    The soup is filling, and it can perfectly serve as a lighter stand-alone course. In our house, we traditionally eat it as a Czech Christmas soup.

    Read: What do Czech eat at Christmas

    Czech split pea soup.

    ➜ Useful Tips

    • Instead of bacon, pan-fry cubes of smoked meat or sausage cut into slices.
    • If you want to have the soup on the table quickly, be careful to use split peas, which do not need to be soaked beforehand.
    • The soup is thickened by blending the peas, contains no flour, and is thus naturally gluten-free.

    Also try Czech Pučálka, sprouted peas fried in a pan.

    More Czech soups:

    • Sauerkraut soup – with sausage
    • Clear garlic soup
    • Goulash soup

    Tried this recipe?

    Leave a review down in the comments! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Other readers and I love hearing what you think. Stay in touch by following me on Facebook and Pinterest. For more Czech stuff, subscribe to my newsletter!

    Czech Split pea soup recipe

    Split Pea Soup with Bacon

    Author: Petra Kupská | Cook Like Czechs
    Creamy split pea soup, fragrant with garlic and dried marjoram, is a traditional Czech dish known as "Hrachová polévka." It often graces the Christmas table in the Czech Republic as part of the festive menu.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Print recipe
    Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time: 45 minutes mins
    Total Time: 1 hour hr
    Servings: 6

    Tap or hover to scale

    Ingredients 

    • 1 ½ cups yellow split peas
    • 5 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
    • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup heavy cream fat content about 30%
    • 4 ounces sliced bacon (or smoked meat/sausage)
    • 6 handfuls bread croutons

    Instructions 

    • Pour 5 cups vegetable broth into a pot and add 1 ½ cups yellow split peas. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pot and let it simmer until the peas are tender. This step usually takes 30-40 minutes.
    • Blend the soft peas with an immersion blender, but not until completely smooth. The soup should be creamy with a slightly coarser texture.
    • Add the 2 cloves garlic (minced) and 1 teaspoon dried marjoram to the soup. Rub the marjoram between your fingers before adding it to release its flavor.
    • Add ½ cup heavy cream, then stir in 1 teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper. Put the soup back on the stove, bring it to a boil, and then immediately set it aside without cooking any further.
    • Cut 4 ounces sliced bacon into strips and fry them in a pan with melted lard until they are almost crispy.
    • Serve the soup with bread croutons and fried bacon strips placed on top.

    Notes

    • SERVING: Serve the split pea soup warm. Add a spoonful of fried bacon to each plate and toss in a handful of bread croutons just before serving to keep them from getting soggy.
    • The soup is hearty and filling and can easily serve as a lighter stand-alone course. In our house, we traditionally enjoy it as a Czech Christmas soup.
    • Instead of bacon, you can pan-fry cubes of smoked meat or sliced sausage. Alternatively, you can omit the meat part altogether.
    • If you want to have the soup on the table quickly, make sure to use split peas, which do not need to be soaked beforehand.
    • The soup is thickened by blending the peas, contains no flour, and is naturally gluten-free.

    Nutritional estimate pro serving

    Calories: 333kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 1327mg | Potassium: 553mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 802IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg
    Servings: 6
    Calories pro serving: 333
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Czech
    Keyword: Czech Christmas, Legume Recipes
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    Do you like the recipe?I would be happy for your feedback! Please, rate the recipe and share your opinion or questions in comments bellow. Thank you very much.
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    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      May 11, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      This soup was delicious and very easy to make. I didn't need to add any extra salt because the chicken broth I used was salty enough. The garlic and the marjoram added a really great flavor. I recommend that everyone makes this soup!

      Reply
      • Petra Kupská says

        May 16, 2022 at 7:01 am

        Thank you, Sarah, for your lovely feedback! 🙂

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Petra, a born-and-raised Czech and self-taught cook with 25+ years of experience. I am here to show you that you can cook Czech food—even if you live abroad or never learned it growing up. With clear steps and trusted guidance, Czech cooking becomes simple, joyful, and meaningful, right in your own kitchen.

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