Split Pea Soup

I am not a college student but I have a son who is, and he's hungry.  He's also college broke and for those of you who've been there, you know what I mean by college broke.

I remember a time when I had to watch my pennies but no matter how broke you are, you still need to eat and so I taught myself how to shop for groceries without breaking the bank and how to make the most of the food that I bought so that I could guarantee several meals.  As time moves forward, careers are established, more money is earned and so eating on a budget is no longer a necessity. While this is a good thing, I realized that it was a bit of a disservice to my son who now is responsible for shopping and cooking and paying rent, utilities, tuition and books.  I know he can't be the only student in this predicament so I have decided to share my low cost recipes for anyone looking for a way to stretch the almighty dollar.

My first recipe that I'm sharing is a childhood favorite of mine and not only fills the belly but brings comfort and warmth, it's Split Pea Soup.

Split Pea Soup

Ingredients:

½ package Bacon ends and pieces

Mirepoix (chopped onions, carrots and celery)

2 garlic cloves, minced

32 oz. chicken broth

1 pound dried split green peas

S&P to taste

Directions:

Trim the majority of the fat off the bacon and cut up any large pieces into bite sized pieces*.  In a stock pot over medium high heat, cook the bacon for 10 minutes.  Add the mirepoix** and garlic and cook until the onions are soft and translucent, about 15 minutes.

Once the onions are translucent add the stock and the entire package of split peas (follow the directions on the package if they need to be rinsed).  Bring to a boil and then simmer for approximately 1 hour or until the peas are soft.  Make sure to stir frequently to keep the bottom from burning.

Option: If you like it chunky, serve when the soup is done. * If you would like it smooth, then leave the bacon in large chunks.  When the soup is ready, remove the large bacon chunks and puree the soup with an immersion blender, cut the bacon into bite sized chunks at this time and put them back in the soup after it’s been blended.

Serve with French bread or a toasted cheese sandwich, enjoy.

Pricing: (all ingredients were purchased from Trader Joe's - prices will vary from store to store)

Bacon ends and pieces - $2.99 – full package

Mirepoix - $2.99

Chicken Stock - $1.99

Split Peas - $1.79

Garlic and S&P – I already had on hand and I would recommend making this part of the staples in your pantry too.

The soup is less than $10.00 and serves 6, making each serving less than $2.00 (the bread or sandwich would be extra)

**Mirepoix is a mix of chopped carrots, celery and onion - I love to use this because it adds flavor and it's all cut up for you.  If you can't find this already chopped and mixed, you can certainly buy the ingredients separately and cut them yourself.