- 8 slices bacon (about 1/4 pound)
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 pound dried split peas
- 2 1/2 quarts water plus additional if necessary
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 bay leaf
- In a large heavy kettle cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp and transfer to paper towels to drain.
- Pour off all but about 1/4 cup bacon fat from kettle and cook onions and carrots, stirring, until softened. Add remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding 1 to 2 cups more water if soup becomes too thick, 2 hours.
- Remove kettle from heat and transfer ham hock with a slotted spoon to a cutting board. Discard fat and bones and chop meat. Return meat to kettle and simmer soup, stirring, until heated through. Discard bay leaf.
- Just before serving, crumble bacon and sprinkle over soup.