Pea soup according to the Bundeswehr recipe

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g split peas
• 100 g celeriac
• 100 g carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 2 m.-sized onion(s)
• 300 g potatoes, floury
• 100 g smoked bacon
• 20 g lard
• 1 tsp, heaped marjoram
• 2 sprigs of parsley
• 2 liters of water
• 8 tsp, heaped vegetable stock powder (slightly heaped tsp)
• Salt and pepper, white

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 35 minutes

Melt the lard in a saucepan over low heat. Add the finely diced bacon and cook gently. Then add the finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent. Add the diced carrots, celery, and finely chopped leeks. Increase the heat to high and sauté briefly while stirring. Don’t overcook, or the mixture will burn. Add 1 liter of water and mix everything together. Now add the peas, stirring continuously, followed by the remaining water. Bring everything to a boil. Then add the vegetable stock (1 teaspoon per 1/4 liter) and marjoram. Simmer over low heat. After about 20 minutes, add the diced potatoes and simmer for another 40 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking, especially during the last third of the cooking time. Season with white pepper and a little salt. Stir in the chopped parsley, and you’re done. The amount of bacon can be increased to about 200g, depending on your taste. Of course, you can also use unpeeled peas, but they would need to be soaked for about 12 hours beforehand. Another disadvantage is the pea skins in the stew, which can trigger increased bowel activity in some people.