Split Pea and Ham Soup • Steamy Kitchen Recipes Giveaways (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.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup. The potato should make your split pea soup perfectly thick and creamy. However, if the soup is still too thin for your liking, you can thicken it up with full-fat cream (though it may alter the flavor a bit) or a cornstarch slurry.

Luckily, there is an option that is just as accessible as ham hock, which can be found in nearly any supermarket. Smoked turkey meat, sold generally as legs or wings, is a worthy substitute for ham hocks, providing a comparable level of savory meatiness and smokiness.

How do you make split pea soup less gassy? If you are worried about getting gassy, soak your split peas ahead of time for roughly 8 to 12 hours. This can help break down certain sugars in beans and peas that lead to gas.

Thankfully, Epstein notes that -- unlike dried beans, which need to be soaked overnight -- split peas require no soaking, because they cook much faster. Between prep and cooking time, this recipe can easily come together in about an hour, even with the added task of pea-sorting.

If you add to many peas its not a problem because you can add more water to thin it out a little. On the other hand if you don't put in enough and have to add more it will overcook the peas you put in first. If you cook peas for too long the soup turns a brown color more than a green color.

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.

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.

For a variation, add 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon and 3 tablespoons of white wine to the soup instead of the garam masala. No ham on hand? Fry up some bacon and crumble it on top of the soup. A pale ale or an Alsatian gewurztraminer teams well with the spicy soup.

What is the foam in split pea soup? ›

Place the peas, water and ham hocks in a stock pot, and bring to a boil. A foamy residue will form at the top; this is due to the starch in the peas. Use a spoon to skim it off.

"If your broth is lacking in savory richness, try adding roasted onion, tomato paste, mushrooms, seaweed, soy sauce, or miso. These ingredients add umami flavor and depth to broth," she says. The choice of ingredient depends on the recipe, though.

The difference between yellow and green split peas

They are both very similar, carrying mostly the same nutritional value and with similar cook times. The main difference is in flavour, as yellow peas have a mild earthy flavour, whilst green peas taste a bit stronger and sweeter.

A ham hock, sometimes called pork knuckle, is the joint between the tibia and fibula and the metatarsals of a pig's foot where the foot was attached to the hog's leg.

They're not a super-fancy item only found at gourmet grocery stores—I buy mine at the local Safeway. If you can't find them, just ask. Both fresh and smoked ham bones need to be cooked thoroughly before eating and do best when simmered slowly for hours in a pot of soup.

Note: To reduce cooking time, soak 1 cup split peas overnight in 3 cups of water and 1 tsp salt. Drain and follow cooking instructions above.

If the peas are very old and dried out, they won't soften.

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).