Split Pea Soup Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What to add to bland split pea soup? ›

Add a bit of lemon zest to make those peas really sing. You can try the fresh pea approach with your favorite split pea soup recipe, but this super traditional, easy version is an Epicurious favorite.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup. The potato should make your split pea soup perfectly thick and creamy. However, if the soup is still too thin for your liking, you can thicken it up with full-fat cream (though it may alter the flavor a bit) or a cornstarch slurry.

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas. Add the lentils, allow water to return to boiling, reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the variety.

Thankfully, Epstein notes that -- unlike dried beans, which need to be soaked overnight -- split peas require no soaking, because they cook much faster. Between prep and cooking time, this recipe can easily come together in about an hour, even with the added task of pea-sorting.

Garlic Cloves – add a fabulous flavour to this frozen pea soup. Fresh Ginger – should be peeled before chopping. If you have too much, try using it up in my Vermicelli Soup. Red Onion – gives a great undertone to this healthy pea soup.

Yellow onion, celery, carrots and garlic – these vegetables built up the background flavors of the soup. They add some nice color too. Chicken broth and water – I like to use half chicken broth and half water (vs. all broth) so it doesn't overpower the delicate flavor of the peas.

A recipe for "pea soup" from 1905 is made with split peas, salt pork and cold roast beef. The soup is strained through a sieve to achieve the desired texture. "Split pea soup" is a slightly thinner soup with visible peas and pieces of ham, especially popular in the Northeast, the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.

Why is pea soup so gassy? Pea soup is gassy because when bacteria in the digestive tract digest small sugars called oligosaccharides that are present in the beans, it creates gas.

If your split peas don't get soft, it's more likely they are old or were stored in a container that wasn't airtight. Even though they keep for quite a while, dried beans don't keep forever.

A one-pound bag of split peas contains about 2 cups, enough to make two batches of this soup, and costs about $1.

How do you know when split peas are done? ›

Split peas absorb lots of water as they cook, so check the soup often and add liquid as needed. The peas only need to be cooked until they are tender. But if you like a smoother, creamier texture, cook them longer until they soften and fall apart.

Split pea soup can be too thin due to various reasons. One common reason is using too much water or broth while cooking.

If the peas are very old and dried out, they won't soften. And if the water you use for making the soup is hard with lots of dissolved minerals that can stop the peas from softening. Use bottled water if that is the case.

Always “sort and rinse” dry split peas. "Sorting" mean looking through dry peas for rocks, broken peas, and non- split pea pulses and remove them. Rinse dry peas under cool water before adding to recipes. This helps remove dust and dirt.

Split peas and lentils tend to get overcooked. Once I figured out that they don't need to reach the State of Horrifyingly Mushy, my legume cookery horizons expanded dramatically. Actually, I find it pretty amazing that more people don't cook with dried peas and lentils.

Perk up a Bland Soup With Simple Pantry Staples

Add a splash of vinegar (any kind!), or a squeeze of citrus. Chances are, you could use a little more salt. Go ahead—it's ok. Salt perks up flat flavors and helps balance out bitter-tasting ingredients.

Cook and crumble up some bacon or sausage for a punch of additional meaty flavor. Try sauteing ham for split pea soup. Even some pan-fried shrimp would be great on canned potato or corn chowder. If you steer clear of meat, you can turn to vegetarian protein options like eggs and tofu.

How to Add Flavor to Bland Bean Soup. Some bean soup recipes may be watered down or bland…but not this one! You'll add layers of flavor to the soup by sauteing aromatics (like onion, carrots, celery, and garlic) in olive oil at the start.

From a Western nutrition perspective, legumes, lentils, and split peas can cause bloating because of the oligosaccharides present. Oligosaccharides are small sugars that aren't actually digested by us.