Split Pea Soup with Bacon (Bacon!)

While this doesn't have the deep pork flavor that a split pea made with a smoked ham hock does, it's still pretty good. And I'm much more likely to have the ingredients to hand versus a recipe requiring a ham bone.

Ingredients:

14 slices good quality bacon (I used the black forest bacon from Whole Foods)
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 celery ribs, sliced
8 large carrots, peeled and sliced
3 cloves garlic, halved
1 pound green split peas
8 cups chicken stock
2 T dry sherry
Tabasco (to taste)
4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, diced and cooked

Directions:

• Slice the bacon and saute in a stock pot until golden brown and crisp. Spoon out using a slotted spoon (you want the bacon fat to stay in the pot). Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic and saute until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the peas and stock, bring to a boil and then cover and lower heat and simmer for an hour.
• Remove the pot from the stove and add the sherry and Tabasco then using a hand blender puree until smooth. Add the cooked potatoes and let simmer for a few minutes to combine flavors.
• Serve topped with the cooked bacon pieces and crisp toast.