How to Cook Green Split Pea Soup

Posted By Kimberly Turner on May 7, 2012 in Beans, Cooking How-To Videos, Main Dishes, Peas, Soups, Stews & Chilis | 0 comments

Although we’re certainly looking at some warmer, Spring-time weather, it’s quite gloomy and cool today.

It’s the perfect time to make a great soup, in my personal opinion, and a bag of green split peas is what sparked me today to create one of my traditional favorites, Green Split Pea Soup.

Experiment with different meats and liquids (water, teas, broths) you’d like to add, if you so choose.

You’ll enjoy this classic, and feel free to spice it up as you wish. This recipe is more true to “classic form” in our family.

Type: Soup Recipe
Serve With: fresh, crusty French or Italian bread, topped with a dollop of sour cream or Balkan-style plain yogurt
Prep Time: 12 mins
Cook Time:
Yield: Approximately 6-8 servings

The ingredients & instructions are listed below the video for measurements & directions. Please enjoy the video below.

Ingredients:

1 package dried green split peas – approximately 900g
3 large sausage links – diced…
OR 4 slices bacon – sliced
stock/water/tea
1 cup white wine – * optional
1 cup cream or milk
1 1/2 large onions – diced; Check out my tutorial video on How to Dice an Onion Properly
4 whole cloves garlic – minced
1 large carrot – grated or finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh parsley – minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper – or to taste
1 bay leaf
freshly cracked black pepper – to taste
sea salt – to taste
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

In a large preheated soup pot on medium heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil, and brown sausage and bacon until brown and crispy. Remove from pot and reserve until later, leaving rendered oil/fat from meats in pot.
Add onions and carrots to soften on medium heat with some freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt, a tiny bit just to start the flavors.
Add garlic and bay leaf and continue for another 2 minutes.
Add cayenne pepper, and rinsed, and/or soaked green split peas (or already cooked split peas – * Tip: Check out my post on >How to Cook Beans in Your Rice Cooker) to the pot and cover with water, tea or stock and bring it up to a simmer, stirring frequently, until split peas are completely softened and cooked through. * Tip: Taste test them by skimming a few out of the pot. * Tip: If liquid gets low in the pot, just add more to cover the peas, etc. * Tip: As peas or beans cook, they sometimes cause a brown foamy film to form on the top of the soup. When this happens, take a ladle or large spoon and skim off the brown
Once split peas are softened, add white wine and simmer for an additional 5 mins. Remove bay leaf and discard.
Take a hand blender and zip the soup up until you achieve your desired consistency whether that be completely smooth and velvety or rustic with some chunks.
Add reserved meats, cream/milk, and fresh parsley into pot and stir.
Be sure to taste test before serving and adjust seasonings to taste.