Step 1

Add water to the peas and boil until tender (about 30 - 40 minutes). Soaking split peas before cooking is not necessary. I just rinse them well, add water and immediately put them to boil. Don’t pour out the water after cooking (we’ll need for the soup)

Step 2

Cut the potatoes into small pieces. Add potatoes to the cooked split peas, if necessary add more water and boil until potatoes are half cooked.

Step 3

Cut the bacon into small cubes and cook it in a little oil.

Step 4

When the potatoes are half cooked, add the sautéed carrots, onions and bacon to it. Boil until the potatoes are fully cooked (add more water if necessary)

Step 5

While the soup is cooking, prepare the spaetzle (I start preparing the batter for the spaetzle immediately after I put the potatoes to boil): mix the flour and salt. Separately, beat the egg with milk.

Step 6

Add the milk-and-egg mixture to flour and salt. Also add paprika if you like it. Mix everything well and leave for 20 minutes at room temperature

Step 7

After 20 minutes the batter is ready, you can make spaetzle. German cooks (as well as Austrian, Swiss and Northern Italian ones) usually have a special device with holes for spaetzle. I adapted with what I had in my kitchen - I use a coarse grater (the one on which I grate beets for Ukrainian borscht). So, I take a grater, hold it upside down over the boiling soup, pour the batter on it with a spoon and it flows perfectly through the holes right into the boiling soup (if it doesn’t flow well, help it by rubbing it with a spoon on the surface of the grater)

Step 8

As soon as spaetzle float to the surface, they are ready. Add salt and pepper and, if you like spicy dishes – add another pinch of dry ground paprika. Add a clove of garlic (passed through a press) and sprinkle with green parsley or onion. Bon Appetit!