Hot Split Pea soup has been eaten since early ages and its heartiness, high nutrition value, and low cost has made it part of the cuisine in many cultures. The soup is typically made from dried peas that vary in color from grayish green to yellow depending on the regional variety and cooked with various root vegetables and pork to add flavor.
In Britain, “Pease” is used as the singular and plural form of the word pea. Pease pudding was a low-cost high-protein food staple, and it was easy to store dried peas. Before the nineteenth century, this was an ideal food for sailors to boil with salt pork, which became the origins of pea soup.
This is the hot split Pea Soup loved by nearly everyone. Made with dried split peas and cooked with flavorful ham, split pea soup is warm, so satisfying, and great for leftovers. Split Pea Soup is the perfect hearty winter soup to serve your family as it is so easy to make and so good!
You can enjoy this soup in a smooth blended consistency or chunky. The choice is yours to make.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
- 2 to 3 carrots (1 1/2 cups), chopped
- 3 to 4 stalks of celery (1 1/2 cups), chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 pound (16-ounce) bag dried split green peas, rinsed*
- 1 meaty ham bone, 2 ham hocks, or 2 cups diced ham
- 2 (32-ounce) containers of chicken broth/stock
- 1/2 tablespoon yellow curry, (optional)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation Direction
- Preheat the Slow Cooker (Crock Pot). Trim any extra fat off the ham bone and discard.
- Add carrots, celery, onion, garlic, split peas, ham bone (not the ham meat), chicken broth, and seasonings.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours or until peas and all vegetables are tender.
- Place 1 cup soup mixture into the blender and process until the texture is to your liking. Pour the blended soup into a large bowl. Repeat this step until all the soup mixture is blended. Only blend 1 cup at a time since the soup mixture expands when hot and pressure can cause the top to blow off the blender.
- Once all the soup is blended to your liking, pour back into the crock pot to keep warm and add chopped ham meat; stir together.
Serve in soup bowls and enjoy. Excellent with a side of Cornbread.
Make Ahead Tips
The soup can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 3 months. It will thicken as it cools but will thin again when heated. Reheat slowly, adding water as needed, to prevent the bottom from burning.
How to Store Peas
Things You’ll Need
- Plastic bag
- Container
- Cooking pot
- Ice cold water
- Colander
Storage Steps
- Store peas in their pods in the refrigerator. No matter which type of peas you have-edible pods or not, do not wash them and stick them in an unsealed bag or container. Place them in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freeze garden peas. Remove the peas from their pods and wash them. Then blanch them by boiling them for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain them in a colander, and then immediately place them in icy cold water to stop the cooking. Drain again and put the peas in a freezer-safe bag or container. Remove as much air as possible from the freezer bag, and then seal. Fill the container so that the peas are about 1/2-inch from the rim, if possible. Use frozen garden peas within a year.
- Dry garden peas as an alternative to freezing for long-term storage. Cook in a similar manner as described in step 2, except boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Spread cooked peas to dry. You can also use a dehydrator. Once dry and shriveled, place the peas in a sealed container and store in a dry, cool dark place, such as a basement or garage. If this is done properly, dried peas can stay safe for up to two years.
- Freeze edible pea pods (with the peas still inside). Wash your pods, and boil for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Drain in a colander and place them in ice-cold water. Drain well and freeze in a freezer bag or container. Again, be sure as much air is removed from the bag, or the container is filled near the top. Use frozen edible pea pods within a year.
