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first posted April 2020: updated Oct 2022
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| Triple Duty Split Yellow-Pea Soup: Vegan base topped with cream cheese for vegetarians; with ham; with beef 'Really comforting delicious high protein soup.' Taster |
This wonderful soup is thick, rich and substantial but uses ultra frugal ingredients. Better still, it cooks beautifully on a stovetop, slow cooker or in a sturdy pot over an open fire.
It's a Triple Duty wonder: a vegan base with additions creating vegetarian or carnivore alternatives.
Though often associated with Scandinavia, split pea soups also have Canadian roots. Long before lentils and beans were go-to soup ingredients, split peas - yellow and green - were a staple in poorer Canadian provinces along the Atlantic Coast.
A single recipe, studded with plenty of root veg, would be stretched over a few days with added stock or water and bits of protein. It would be served chunky or cooked down to a puree, and served with bread or hard biscuits.
This version makes a belly-warming modern meal, with or without salad and chunky breads (easy-peasy Cheese & Walnut Soda Bread or Cornbread with Corn Niblets, Scallions & Chillis). Even with just toast, or the ultra-frugal easy Breakfast Biscuits (here doubling as dinner rolls) Split yellow Pea potage will be a favourite meal as winter rolls in.
The flavour of this soup is really exceptional. 67 can't stress enough how delicious it is and how comforting. Thick soups, incorporating pulses, ease stress - medically as well as financially. They calm and build up the body.
In the UK, split peas have not traditionally been used but are now readily available in supermarkets and health food shops. Standard yellow split peas cost between £1.30-£1.70 per kilo; organic is much more.
In the UK, split peas have not traditionally been used but are now readily available in supermarkets and health food shops. Standard yellow split peas cost between £1.30-£1.70 per kilo; organic is much more.
The potage is so good, you might even want to share a 25 kilo bag of split yellow peas from Whole Foods among friends, splitting the £47.00 cost (winter 20.22).
Cost: Not much, maybe a couple of ££ at most; more if using organic
Feeds: 6 but recipe doubles easily
Ingreds:
1 cup dried yellow split peas
tap water to cover
2 tsp turmeric
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled (opt)
med onion in med dice
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
two sticks celery, coarsely chopped
1 large potato or sweet potato in med dice (opt)
med onion in med dice
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
two sticks celery, coarsely chopped
1 large potato or sweet potato in med dice (opt)
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
1/3 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 garlic clove, grated or minced
1/3 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 litre vegetable stock
(For Ham Split Yellow Pea Potage: ham bones and/or 110 gm/4 oz shredded ham hock, back bacon with fat removed or sliced ham)
After cooking is complete (opt):
juice & zest of half a lemon
pinch chilli flakes or a finely diced small chilli (opt)
couple of generous handfuls spinach or kale
1/3 cup button mushrooms, in large dice
Method:
After cooking is complete (opt):
juice & zest of half a lemon
pinch chilli flakes or a finely diced small chilli (opt)
couple of generous handfuls spinach or kale
1/3 cup button mushrooms, in large dice
Method:
- Soak peas overnight in plenty of water; remove bits floating on top and drain.
- Cover peas with an inch of fresh water, add a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves & add 2 tsp turmeric, bring to a boil; turn heat down to simmer; cook 20 mins on stovetop; take off heat; remove garlic cloves; separate peas from liquid; set both aside
- Meanwhile put a large pot on high; when hot, add oil, onions, carrots, celery & potatoes; stir; reduce heat to low; stir in garlic; cover pan partially with lid; cook 20 mins, stirring occasionally to prevent burning
- Add herbs plus split peas with cooking liquid and enough stock to make one litre
- Bring to a boil; skim off any froth; bubble 5 mins. Add ham bones/ham if using. Then...
- Slow Cooker: cook on low 6-8 hours (longer cooking breaks down the peas) OR
- Stovetop: Simmer with lid slightly ajar 3-4 hours
- Check the level of the liquid occasionally; more stock may be needed. The split peas are ready when they are soft but basically holding their shape
- Take half of the mix; coarsely blend with a stick blender and return to pot OR process all to a rough puree
- Stir in zest & juice of lemon& chilli
- Serve piping hot with choice of garnishes (below)
Vegan/Vegetarian Garnishes:
- Spinach or kale & mushrooms: stir in, leave a further 20 mins or until kale and mushrooms are no longer raw
- Memorable Crunchy Croutons or Vegan 'Bacon Bits'
Carnivores/Pescatatarian Garnish:
- Shards of ham hock or sliced ham
- Mini beefballs blanched in boiling water 5 mins
- Flaked smoked fish.
Comments:
'It's a really comforting soup; I liked the added kale.' Semi-retired council administrator
'My all-time favourite is the ham & split pea potage: I love the flavour of ham without the salt! The vegan/vegetarian versions need something salty, crunchy or strongly flavoured to give it a kick; otherwise it gets boring.' Retired writer
Tip:
- One suggested ratio for split peas to water is 2 litres of water/stock per each 500gm/18oz split yellow peas.
- Split peas are excellent for those sensitive to histamines* (usually the over 50's); split peas are low in histamines while lentils and pulses are high.
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| Ham & split pea potage cooked to a luxurious thickness - so thick you can stand a spoon up in it - but if you want to make it go further add stock. |
NOTES ON HISTAMINES: Histamines are chemicals in the body responsible for allergic responses; they can't be avoided. Histamine intolerance doesn't mean the body is sensitive to it but does indicate there's too much of it in the body. Research into Histamine intolerance continues; it's poorly understood and not easy to diagnose. However limiting foods which produce high levels of histamines can help.
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This recipe has been developed by B Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.
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