Pie Floater

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes, until soft.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Add the split peas, bacon, stock and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring now and then, until the peas have collapsed into a thick soup.

   Mark done Start 1 hr timer

3. Remove the bacon and bay leaf. Chop the meat from the bacon, if using a bone, and return it to the pot. Mash or blend part of the soup for a thicker texture. Season with pepper.

   Mark done

4. Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F and warm the pies on a tray for 15 minutes, until piping hot.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

5. Ladle the soup into wide bowls. Sit a pie upside down in the middle of each and squeeze a spiral of tomato sauce over the top. Serve at once, with pepper.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Make the soup thick, so it holds the pie up. Add water at the end if it is too thick.
• Serve the pies straight from the oven so that they are steaming when they meet the soup.
• Blend only part of the soup. Some whole peas give the bowl a texture.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Buttered bread
• A cold beer
• Pickled onions

Storage & Reheating

Keep the soup in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat with a splash of water. Freeze for 3 months. Bake the pies fresh.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.