Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is one of the ancient soups still cooked in homes, and versions of it appear in almost every European cuisine — Dutch erwtensoep, Swedish ärtsoppa and the English and American split pea soup. In Israel, where it is called “מרק אפונה יבשה” (“dried pea soup”), it is known mainly as the thick, greenish winter soup that is also sold as a powder, and the difference between the homemade and the industrial version is very large.

It’s important not to confuse them: split peas are a dried, split legume, not frozen green peas. They contain about 341 calories per 100 grams dry, about 25 grams of protein and about 25 grams of fiber — and that is where all the qualities of this soup come from.

Prep time: 15 minutes · Cook time: 75 minutes · Total: about an hour and a half · Yield: 8 servings · Difficulty: easy

Why this soup thickens on its own

Split peas are a hulled, split legume, so the starch in them is exposed to the liquid from the very first moment. During cooking the peas break down completely, and the starch they release is what creates the texture — no flour, no potato and no cream. That is why pea soup gets thicker with every reheating, and even more after a night in the fridge.

For exactly the same reason there is no need to soak. Soaking is meant to shorten the cooking of whole legumes with their skins — beans, chickpeas, whole lentils. Split peas cook within 60-75 minutes anyway, and soaking only makes them fall apart too quickly.

Ingredients (for 8 servings)

• 400 grams (about 2 cups) split peas, green or yellow, rinsed and picked over for stones
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium potato (about 200 grams), cubed
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 liters water or vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Salt — about 2 teaspoons, only at the end
• Juice of half a lemon for serving

For a version with meat (optional): 150 grams smoked kabanos sausage, smoked chicken sausage or a smoked bone, added together with the water.

Choosing ingredients and substitutes

Look for split peas on the legume shelf; frozen green peas are not a substitute in the same recipe and cooking time. Green and yellow split peas work at the same weight. The smoked addition is optional. For a version without sausage you can add a quarter teaspoon of smoked paprika with the spices, for a gentle smoky taste.

Method

1. Rinse and pick over. Rinse the peas in cold water and check that there are no small stones. No soaking needed.
2. Fry the flavor base. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the onion, carrot and celery for 7-8 minutes until the onion is translucent and the edges turn golden. Add the garlic and stir for half a minute.
3. Add the peas and liquid. Add the rinsed peas, the potato, the bay leaves, the thyme and the pepper, and pour in the water. Bring to a boil.
4. Skim and lower the heat. In the first ten minutes foam rises — skim it off. Lower to a small flame and partially cover.
5. Cook for 60-75 minutes, stirring from the bottom every 15 minutes. This is the step that decides it — the peas sink, and the starch sticks to the bottom of the pot and burns easily, and a scorched taste can’t be fixed.
6. Only now add the salt. Salt added at the start of cooking toughens the legume’s skin and lengthens the cooking time. Remove the bay leaves, salt and taste.
7. Puree as you like. For smooth, blend with an immersion blender until uniform; for a homestyle texture, mash part of the soup and leave the rest. If it is too thick, add boiling water.
8. Finish with acid. A squeeze of lemon at the end lifts a legume soup that tastes “heavy” and flat, and also improves the absorption of the plant iron in it.

Nutrition facts and calorie estimate

The recommended serving is a bowl of about 350 ml, an eighth of the pot.

Fifteen grams of fiber in one bowl is the standout figure here: that is about half the recommended daily intake for an adult (25-30 grams), in a 240-calorie serving. Such a combination of fiber and protein is uncommon — it is close to that of harira and of Turkish lentil soup, and very far from ordinary vegetable soup.

There is another side to this too. Anyone not used to a high fiber intake may experience bloating and discomfort after a bowl like this. The practical solution is to start with half a serving and increase gradually, and to make sure to drink — fiber without enough fluid actually makes the feeling worse.

Additions and what they do to the number:

Variations and tips

• The Dutch version (erwtensoep): especially thick — “the soup should hold the spoon upright” — and cooked with smoked sausage and a pig’s trotter. In a kosher version, swap in chicken kabanos or smoked beef.
• No meat, with smoky depth: a teaspoon of smoked paprika gives a good part of the sausage’s effect, without the fat and without the sodium.
• Yellow peas instead of green: almost exactly the same nutritional values, a slightly milder and sweeter taste and a lighter color.
• In a pressure cooker: 20 minutes at full pressure instead of 75 minutes. Saves time, but makes it harder to control the thickness.
• Making ahead: 5 days in the fridge, 3 months in the freezer. The soup thickens significantly as it cools, so when reheating add boiling water and stir well.

Summary

Split pea soup is probably the best ratio of effort to nutritional benefit on the site: a cheap legume, no soaking, no special ingredient, and a result of 14 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber in 240 calories. The two things that decide whether it succeeds are stirring from the bottom and salting only at the end. For more soups see Soups, and for the nutritional values of the fresh legume — peas.