| • | Fry onions in olive oil, heated in a large heavy pot all over normal heat.
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| • | Now add the celery, carrots to it and saute until they turn tender. Now add garlic, split peas, bacon, water and bay leaf, raise the heat up to high and bring in to a simmer.
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| • | Then cover partially and cook, stirring on occasion and scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching, until the peas are soft, about 1 hour.
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| • | Remove the bacon and bay leaf from the above mixture. Discard the bay leaf. Cut the bacon into little squares and keep aside.
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| • | Using a blender or a food processor, puree the soup until smooth and creamy. Now return the puree to the pot and reheat the soup all over normal heat, stirring occasionally.
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| • | Season it to taste with table salt and pepper and stir in the reserved bacon.
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| • | Ladle into warmed up soup bowls, sprinkling the parsley all over the tops and serve up immediately.
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