Split Pea Soup with Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking? ›

No. Split peas, like lentils, do not need to be soaked before cooking. Beans require soaking prior to cooking, but because these are peas they can be used directly in the recipe. It is still a good idea to rinse your peas thoroughly before cooking to remove any dirt particles.

Not only do I love the taste of split pea and ham soup – I love the nutritional value. Just one cup of split peas provides more than half your daily fiber intake – one cup! So that means, this soup will help keep you full. In addition, split peas are a good source of protein and many vitamins and minerals.

Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down during cooking and also as it sits, especially if refrigerated. If it's too thick for your liking, you can easily thin it by adding a bit of chicken or vegetable broth, or even water, until you reach your desired consistency.

Use bones, such as a ham hock or shank, even a turkey carcass. The collagen in the bones thickens the soup and the meat adds flavor. Start with a big Dutch Oven, Stock Pot, or slow cooker (minimum 3–4 quarts). Dump in a pint of mirepoix - diced onion, celery, and carrot.

How do you make pea soup not gassy? Using Ayurvedic cooking methods, rinsing and soaking your peas before cooking, and eating them in a balanced meal help make pea soup not gassy.

Split peas can help ease constipation in several ways. For one, they're teeming with fiber, a must-have nutrient for constipation relief. They're especially rich in soluble fiber, which draws a lot of water into your gastrointestinal tract, helping to make your stool a normal consistency so pooping is more comfortable.

Split peas also contain potassium which helps lower the blood pressure. High blood pressure or hypertension, too, contributes to causing heart disease. Furthermore, it contains an amino acid called tryptophan that helps your body produce serotonin which in turn regulates sleep and improves your mood.

What do you serve with split pea soup? This soup is perfect paired with a grilled cheese sandwich (or just a hunk of crusty bread!) for dunking. For something lighter, serve it with fresh kale citrus salad. Or, if you want to keep things simple, just sprinkle a few crispy homemade croutons on top.

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.

Some might also cook them on high heat, which can cause them to become overly mushy or burn. It's best to simmer them on a gentle heat. Overcooking also ruins the texture and can lead to a mushy outcome.

Why is my split pea soup not creamy? ›

One common reason is using too much water or broth while cooking. Additionally, if the split peas are not cooked long enough, they may not release enough starch to thicken the soup. Another possibility is not adding enough vegetables or other thickening ingredients during the cooking process.

The common denominator will probably be meat (ham bones are common), more salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use bouillon cubes or paste to provide both meaty flavor and salt, though pork is a lot harder to find than chicken or beef. Salt and pepper you can just stir in.

Very likely the embryo of the peas! Each side of the pea is an endosperm, like the white of an egg. These are probably just left over embryos of the peas, or the yolk, if you will.

A lot of types of bacteria (and sometimes other microbes) produce waste products that can taste "sour." And soup/stock is a good growth medium for microbes, which is why most food safety organizations recommend only keeping soup for 3-4 days in the fridge.

They don't have to be pre-soaked, but I prefer to do so for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it significantly reduces the cooking time, which is good for saving energy. And secondly, I personally find that soaking split peas helps with digestion.

If your split peas are hard after this length of cooking time, there is something wrong with the peas or with your water. 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.

As far as pulses go, split peas and lentils are my favorite because unlike dried beans, you don't have to soak them before cooking.

Lentils and peas do not require pre-soaking. Add dry pulses and water to the pressure cooker. For every 1 cup of dry lentils or peas, use 2 cups of water (or ensure the dry pulses are covered with 2” of water).