Sour Cream, Bacon, And Split Pea Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large white onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 lb split peas, rinsed
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
sour cream, for serving
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Preparation

In a large pot, cook the bacon over med-high heat until crisp, 5-7 minutes.
Drain the bacon on a paper towel-lined plate, then crumble it up.
Add the onion, celery, and garlic to the pot.
Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato paste until blended inches.
Stir in the split peas, 8 cups water, the salt, thyme, and bay leaf.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the peas have completely fallen apart and the soup thickens, 1 1/2-2 hours.
Keep an eye on the soup and add more water if the soup thickens too much while cooking.
Discard the bay leaf and season the soup with black pepper.
Serve the soup topped with the crumbled bacon, a hearty dollop of sour cream, and a pretty sprinkling of parsley.