Split pea soup

Split arse soup anyone?

It's my favorite soup, made with or, more likely without, the ham bone. Her ingredients are my ingredients, OP, so thanks.

Amy's makes the worst canned version. She adds dried basil, both dreadful and unnecessary.

It's good cooked in a basic manner with cubed ham or topped with crumbled bacon. I ordered it recently and it was tarted up with cilantro and some other crap, it was nasty.

mmmmmmmmmmm delicious and hearty. Cheap to make and gets better with age!.

I have a great recipe with a ham hock, make it in a crockpot. Love it.

I like split pea soup and just made a big pot of it yesterday.

I love it, but I'm a vegetarian so I forgo the versions with bacon. If you don't like peas, you will obviously not enjoy it.

It's my absolute favorite soup, too, r2. I use pork neck bones to make stock (They're pretty cheap) and supplement with canned chicken broth if necessary. I roughly chop up a ham steak and sear before adding it to the nearly done soup. I also add red pepper flakes.

Mmmm…love it, OP.

R7 - can you add Liquid Smoke to get more flavor?

I can't even be in the same room with this baby vomit 🤮

OP, when I was a kid, my grandma made this from scratch, so yes! I love homemade split pea soup, and I miss my abuela SOOO much.

She was a saint. Best lady ever. They don’t make ‘em like my grandma anymore.

Not R7, but I add smoked paprika for a smoky flavor. My version is vegetarian as well.

I like it! I have not made it for a long time though.

The best is to use the broth from steaming a giant smoked picnic ham, and also adding the skin of the ham to soften as well. Pork hocks are good but they're too small.

Another fun thing to do is to crop cubes of cheddar cheese into the bowl so that you get melted cheese along with the soup.

I love split pea soup, but I prefer versions without ham in it. The with-ham versions are okay, but I like the ham-free versions more.

Didn’t Rescue Chick say she makes this?

I love split pea soup, a standard when the weather gets cooler. It's great made with ham or kielbasa. If you done like the green color, use yellow split peas.

My split pea soup comes out more red than green due to using crushed tomatoes.

[QUOTE]I love split pea soup, a standard when the weather gets cooler

Heh. I haven't made any yet this season. We're on the second day of a seven day period in the low 90s.🤨

One of my all-time favorites. I make a big batch in the Instant Pot and then freeze it. Great for cold days. I do the same with butternut squash.

Sorry your potential enjoyment of a classic soup was destroyed by an old horror move, OP.

r16, I make it in my crockpot. It was the first thing my son ever learned to make by himself. Every once in a while from his age 9 on, I would find him making it. It's that easy.

I make a special version called "Your Mother Sucks Cocks in Hell Soup"!

I don’t like peas and I love pea soup. Completely different flavor.

abulita dried and sliced peas?

I would use it as a dip, and dunk crusty bread in it.

I wonder how much the trend of "tarting up" basic foods, as r3 mentioned, is giving solid classic foods a bad name with younger people. Seriously, do what you want, but there is a reason a classic BLT is not made with baby spring mix and coarse multigrain bread, with whole mustard seed spread instead of mayo. The trendy young people's restaurants in my city are big on these ridiculous improvements on classics that end up tasting vaguely like dessert, or are unintentionally Atkins-diet, or have no contrasting textures, it's just, blecch.

Someone who's never had real tamales, only a vegan co-op version with heart-healthy oil instead of lard, and seasonal nut filling, isn't going to think they like tamales. Also some people would, and go back for repeat visits, but that's a different rant.

But, all that tiny child labor used to split all those peas!

The only tarting it up I do is add some lemon juice and half a stick of butter (to the very large crockpot).

yes! who splits the peas???!!!!

With the right seasoning it is actually good. I also love yellow split pea curries.

I love it, and serve mine chilled, with a drizzling of creme fraiche and and a sprinkle of fresh mint.

I love soups and will be making them regularly all fall and winter, but split pea soup is one I can't stand. Even if the flavor is right, nothing can make up for the repugnant appearance and texture.

Same people that like lima beans and boston baked beans. I believe it's a genetic defect. I gag on the stuff.

Love it.

I make it with a ham hock but use the dried vegetable soup mix rather than just split green peas. It was an accidental discovery when, making it one day, I realised I didn't have any split peas and used the vegetable soup mix instead and decided that was even better. Those of you who like the traditional pea and ham might like to give it a try.

It's all about peaCH soup.

R36, what dry vegetable soup mix are you talking about? Did it contain split peas?

Pretty much my favorite soup.

R29, a shot of sherry and/or a couple of dollops of sour cream are good, too. I learned this trick from The Magic Pan restaurant, where they served sherry and sour cream on the side with their “potage St. Germain” … which was really just split pea soup with a few whole peas to make it look different. It was GREAT!

Well said, R27. Younger people and trendy older people look at you like you’re crazy if you mention a BLT or a corned beef on rye … or a ham or plain mashed potatoes (no garlic, no cheese) or a basic soup like split pea, unless you’ve dressed it up with something like arugula or sriracha or chorizo. Those things are good, too, but they don’t belong in everything.

I make this a couple times once fall and winter hits with a hambone I buy for cheap from the Honeybaked store. They also sell their version of it, but I can find this brand at the neighborhood market (and for a lower price). Keep leftovers in the freezer in quart containers. With a side of hot cornbread? It doesn't get much better.

I grew up eating pea soup made with hambones and liked it very much. Then I stopped eating meat and discovered Nigella Lawson's pea and pesto soup -- hot or cold, I LOVE! it -- quick, easy, stunning emerald green color.

Love it. Order it whenever it's an option.

I was about to comment that I grew up eating it and my mom would serve it with sherry and sour cream. Obviously ripping off The Magic Pan r40

Yes R36 - it contains green split peas, lentils, barley and maybe another couple of grains. I also sometimes use an Italian soup mix which contains those things plus some small white bean and that works well too. I'm in Australia so not sure if you can get that same type of soup mix where you are but if not, I guess there's something similar.

Whoops - that was meant for R38. I'm 'talking' to myself again.

sometimes if I have a little feta leftover in the fridge I will sprinkle it in top.

Make it from dried peas. Eat it with good butter on good whole wheat bread.

Delicious especially during cold weather. Hearty!

Thanks, Ina at R49, for the reminder to use “good butter.”

I get the shits from it.

Bottoms need that r52.

I just made it 3 days ago. It's delicious. I buy Barb's Gourmet Beans, Garden split pea and it's really better than just making it from a regular packet of green peas. I really should try some of the others because this brand really is good.

[quote]I love split pea soup, but I prefer versions without ham in it

Fuck that! I make mine with bacon! I chop it up into small pieces, fry it in a big dutch oven, save it for later than cook a Mirepoix of vegetables in the bacon grease. Then add the peas, chicken stock cook until tender, puree it till creaming smooth and adjust for seasoning. A dash of something hot like Tabasco, or about 1/4 tsp of white pepper to bring out the flavor. A splash of heavy cream. It's delicious, bright green and creamy smooth loaded with flavor. Top with bacon-and croutons.

R41 I do kind of enjoy it when people who turn their nose up at classic, perfectly balanced things like a blt think they are the ones with the highbrow taste.

My sister (bougie as fuck, wants to seem hip) just loves the most sour-creamy bastardizations of Mexican food, restaurants with names containing punctuation, and thinks she is the one with fine taste. Meanwhile I know where to go for authentic Mexican food, including places behind a car wash or a topless bar. In other words, she goes to these places even though she lives in a freaking Mexican food capital! Haha.

Someone on an oldMadonna Inn thread said that split pea soup restaurant in California is really dirty.

Love it but havent made it in years. I dont know why.I havent made chicken and dumplings in years either,and mine was quite good. Come to think of it,I dont cook much of anything anymore .

^ I love chicken and dumplings. I used to make it in a crock pot (called a slow cooker by the sophisticates) but I've stopped cause I don't want to become a fat.

I also want me some fry bread with butter and jam.

Seriously, my first question is: how does one have the time to “split” enough peas t make this green soup, and still have time for a you know, LIFE!

I have never made chicken and dumplings and would love a crockpot recipe!

I use an ancient crackpot cookbook but I'm sure there are good recipes on the Internet.

Bisquick chicken pot pie is easy to make and good. I don't use a crockpot for it and prefer to use cream of celery soup instead of cream of chicken.

Chicken pot pie: three of my favorite things

I make personal sized turkey pot pie sand freeze a bunch of them each winter.

If you simmer some split pea soup with sauerkraut (soaked & drained first) and a handful of barley, you get the satisfying Polish comfort food Kapusta.

YUK r66, that sounds like food only a native Pol could love.

My other half loves Split Pea, Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese, Chicken and Dumplings, Chicken Pot Pie, basically everything you would imagine would be served by Alice at the Brady residence. Cooking for him is like some kind of weird retro recipe search guarded by a bunch of Fraus. Oh well, it makes him happy. You know what they say about a way to a man's heart.

Make a vegan version of split pea soup with sauteed onions, carrots, potatoes, curry powder, garlic. other spices. Delicious.

I enjoy vanilla rice pudding and that too.

No, r69, I don’t think I will!

I love it.

They grow them split, Rose @R60.

What would Gregor think of that?

I need to buy some split peas, carrots and ham today after reading this. Already have onions and olive oil.

Also good butter and good bread.

Get potatoes, not carrots.

Love split pea soup.

No, R76, I stopped making it with potatoes. That was so liberating, just to do what I wanted. (I really disliked it with potatoes.)

[quote] I used to make it in a crock pot (called a slow cooker by the sophisticates) but I've stopped cause I don't want to become a fat.

Crock-Pot is a registered trademark that can only be used to identify the products made by one company. "Slow cooker" is the generic term.

Same for Instant Pot. The generic term is multi-cooker.

I love it...with ham hocks

I make a vegan version where instead of ham hocks, Christy Metz dips her cankles in the crackpot overnight. What a lovely ham flavor!

r69 sounds like a dal.

I love split pea soup. Are there really people who think split pea soup is made with the little green peas and that split peas are actually legumes and are not the kind of peas that you get from a pea pod? This is going on the list to make as I have everything except a ham hock.

Today I'm making a mushroom pot roast in the slow cooker. I threw in a bag of dried porcini mushrooms and some red wine with an envelope of onion soup, creamy mushroom soup and later I'll throw in carrots and potatoes (although i'm feeling kind of torn whether i should use the potatoes in the pot roast or a wild rice mix instead).

High 80 degrees today but it's very cool in my studio apartment under the trees. I love fall/winter cooking!

This article says that split peas are a legume.

[quote]I don’t like peas and I love pea soup. Completely different flavor.

Uh, because split pea soup is not made from peas. It’s basically a green lentil soup.

Love it!

I buy my dried peas whole and split them myself, they're half the price and end result is so much better.

Andersen's was always a CA road trip stop as a kid. I think a couple closed, but I haven't been in years. My mom makes a good,, basic recipe after Christmas with leftover ham.

R84 if you look at the info R83 posted it says they ARE in fact actual field peas and lentils are seeds found in the pods of an annual plant.

Does my pea soup stink?

[QUOTE]I don’t like peas and I love pea soup. Completely different flavor.

[QUOTE]Uh, because split pea soup is not made from peas. It’s basically a green lentil soup.

Sometimes, the level of REACHING for stupidity has try outs on Datalounge to become "Stupid Prime" Uh, FUCK YOU BITCH, I get my soup the way I WANT IT, cunts.

Have one more serving in the freezer, so it's time to make another pot of this delicious soup. I use the mirepoix from Trader Joe's™, an extra onion, the peas(2lb bag, might as well make a BIG batch while you're at it) , vegetable broth, diced potatoes(more for show than anything else) sometimes barley instead of potatoes and various seasonings:

-Summer savory(always good with any legume dish)

-garlic powder(not much though)

-black and white pepper

-dash of cayenne

-a few whole cloves(salute Nonna)

-one chopped tomato(a can of Ro-Tel™ is a nice variation) I feel the acid smoothes out the soup

chopped parsley stirred in just as you take it off the heat

Thin soup with water or additional broth to get the consistency you want. Delicious served with saltines, black or rye bread or 'pizza frite.'

Instead of carrots, always use sweet potato instead. You're welcome.

I used to make the vegetarian version from the original Moosewood cookbook.

Easy and cheap and great for college student budgets.

Meanwhile my cousin went to UCSB and I went to UCSC and our families lived in L.A.

Lots of roadtrips with stops at Buellton for Andersen's pea soup--definitely not a vegetarian version.

R93 i’ve seen signs for Andersen’s on road trips in California but I have never stopped and tried their pea soup. How is it?

my favorite , lentil with carrot too. delicious

R94, it used to be delicious, but I believe they are either franchises or not owned by the family anymore. I forget which one I stopped at last, but it had seen better days

R94 - I've never had their restaurant version and the cans are hard to find on the shelf, depending on the store chain. I actually found one at a 99 cent store. Very bland and pureed. (I like to make my own chunky, hearty stuff)

The restaurants make a vegetarian version (all you can eat!), but the canned offer a ham as well. It will do, obviously not as good as home made.

"[R93] i’ve seen signs for Andersen’s on road trips in California but I have never stopped and tried their pea soup. How is it?"

Canned. Even back then. You could buy the cans at the restuarant.

I think they would just bring to your table if you asked or you bought in the gift shop. IIRC they also sold European style china tchotchkes pastries to go in the gift shop.

Andersens was always a tourist trap.

That's why we loved it as college students: visiting another tourist trap our parents never allowed us to go to as kids.

Also, food and we were hungry college kids. The Winchester Mystery House was much closer to Santa Cruz than Buellton and I was never tempted to go there.

They didn't served canned soup in the restaurants. The gift shops with the tourist junk, yes.

Pea soup gives me the shites.

I add a carrot I finely grind through the food processor

I boil a couple of ham hock until tender to add to the soup and fresh or dry dill weed for flavor. Salt and black pepper to taste The dill give it a nice flavor

The dill idea's a good tip!

[quote]Make a vegan version of split pea soup with sauteed onions, carrots, potatoes, curry powder, garlic. other spices. Delicious.

NOPE! The key ingredient in traditional homemade Split Pea is [bold]PORK!

[quote]Andersens was always a tourist trap

So is San Francisco, what's your point?

There are actually 2 Andersen's Pea Soup locations in CA. Very popular stops off the main highway. Always busy, they server a lot more than just soup. It's freshly made, not out of a can. They also sell a lot of Danish style pastries which you can't get just anywhere. And, not so obvious but they make a special blend of pub style cheese that is totally addictive. It's looks like that wine cheese you see in the markets but it's way, way better. Been one of their most popular things for decades. It's not sold online or in the stores. You have to go to the Restaurant to buy it in person.

The addition of a turnip and/or a parsnip makes vegetarian pea soup truly delicious.

Love making it with a meaty ham bone or leftover ham. Prefer the peas very finely pureed.

This recipe looks good!

I'm just ok with split pea soup but I LOVE lentil soup. It's similar I guess?

I don't like it but my husband loves it so I make it with leftover ham. I make a stock using the ham bone, 3 or 4 ham hocks and soup greens. I cook one lb. of split peas in the stock until they're totally broken down and have thickened the stock. Then I add another lb. that I cook until they're just tender. Add cubed ham in the last few minutes. It comes out rich and smokey.

r108 I can't find that recipe on her website.

If I don't have a ham hock or ham bones, I use a ham steak cut into cubes.

I remember passing by those Andersen's Pea Soup restaurants in the San Diego area. I can't remember if it was just one or two restaurants. Very eye-catching with the Tudor style and windmill and big bowl of pea soup depicted, but I never did try eating there.

I love split pea soup but it makes me gassy so not thanks.

That’s not San Diego.

One of my favorite soups!

I love pea soup. Even out of a can. Except Andersons. Tastes like axle grease.

I love it too. With lots of croutons

lentils are peasant dirt soup.

[quote]If I don't have a ham hock or ham bones, I use a ham steak cut into cubes

Bacon, Bacon, Bacon! It's still pork, maybe a bit of a cheat but it still works. Lots of flavor, more than a ham hock too. Cook the bacon first in a big pot, remove, drain on paper towels. Cook the vegetables in the leftover bacon grease. Make the rest of the soup as usual. Just before serving, crumble of the bacon and serve on top.

That's a good description R119.

WW R119

R115, Carlsbad- close enough. It's been closed for years.

[quote]I'm just ok with split pea soup but I LOVE lentil soup.

I’m the opposite. I hate lentils but love peas. Buttered peas are the best.

Andersen's was first open in 1924 by Anton Andersen and his wife Juliette. Anton Andersen was born in Denmark and had received training in the restaurant business in Europe and New York City. Juliette was born in France and responsible for the recipe which was handed down from her family.

There were originally 5 locations including Buellton, Mammoth Lakes, Santa Nella, Carsbad and Selma California. Only 2 are still in existence.

The original location is still open in Buellton California near the Danish town known as Solvang.

Throughout all of the years the restaurant has been in business the menu has offered an option of all-you-can-eat pea soup, now called the "Traveller's Special". In 2012 it was noted that the restaurant sold 500 to 600 U.S. gallons of pea soup in a day.

I like split pea soup. Also summer pea soup, lentil soup, black bean soup, cannellini/white bean soup...

Is pea soup a very Danish dish?

Too bad the Andersen's went though multiple owners after the family sold. It sucks now.

A wonderful restaurant in Groningen, NL specialized in split pea soup served in elegant silver bowls with a crystal serving spoon. Amazing. . I was a music student in Germany in the 1970’s. A fellow student’s father took us. He also traveled into East Germany frequently (book dealer). We visited Leipzig to pay homage to JS Bach at Thomaskirche. Due to his connections I was able to play Bach works for about 45 minutes which seemed like seconds to me. Glorious experience. I can still recall the touch & resonance of the organ as I attempted to put myself back in time.

A few weeks later in Vienna I was able to play Beethoven’s piano thanks to a kind guard who asked me if I would like to play. He got a screwdriver and removed the plexiglass cover. I played Sonatas with tears flowing.

Mary!

Decades ago, when I lived in San Antonio, I would go to Schilo's restaurant for lunch. They served an outstandingly delicious bowl of split pea soup — probably the best I’ve ever had — accompanied by all the German pumpernickel bread that you wanted. I worked for Legal Aid at the time (the work was satisfying but the pay was not great), so I definitely appreciated an inexpensive but tasty lunch.

I must have had it hundreds of times, especially growing up. It's a big part of French-Canadian/Québecois tradition, likely going back to early settlers 300-400 years ago, and small diners/truck stop restaurants usually have it on the specials board on Fridays (along with fish and chips (going back to the Catholic no meat on Fridays thing).

Still incensed that Campbell's ruined the recipe when they bought out Habitant soups, which was pretty good for a mass-produced industrial version. Amy's is close but not the same.

That Nigella recipe using fresh peas sounds delicious to me. I'm ok with split pea soup flavor, but no one can deny that the texture is bland and blah. I have a very similar reaction to refried beans. A little goes a long way. Like 2 tablespoons would be a full serving of something like that for me.

I can deny it.

I tried fresh peas from Nigella, it's ok, but it doesn't taste anything like split pea. Kind of like New England Clam Chowder vs Manhattan. Same name, same main ingredient but not the same.

A good split pea soup is kind of on the thicker side, smooth and hearty. I think that's the draw of it, a large bowl can be filling. The starch in the peas becomes a natural thickener. Bad pea soup like you get out of a can tend to be watery, bland and chunky. They leave it chunky so you know it actually has peas in it. Not a good texture in my opinion.

R111 just go with what she tells you on her video. I know she doesn’t include many measurements but you can eyeball it.

I have fond memories of pea soup and still enjoy it to this day. It was part of the limited rotation my father used to make for us kids in the late 60s whilst mummy was strung out in bed on her dolls (the Neely O’Hara kind). Made with ham hock, carrots, onions, potatoes and love.

[quote]Is pea soup a very Danish dish?

It's a very /everywhere/ kind of dish.

I had split pea soup from my freezer for dinner. I forgot to mention 2 things earlier in the thread. I love it with saltines or Oyster crackers in it. It's a favorite food of my dog. He starts circling me like a shark once he smells it. He will eat it before anything else if I give it to him with his dinner.

Rescuechick at R139, I'm making some ASAP and I like it with saltines also!

Yay! you are going to be so happy bellied soon!

R140

This thread got me making pea soup too, lol!

I do, bitch.

I love split pea soup.

Here's a fun twist with great flavors for the people sick of green goop and ham:

I just finished last winter's round of frozen split pea soup, time to make this winter's.

[quote]Yay! you are going to be so happy bellied soon!

Only if you make it with this.

R126 I'm Danish, and no, it's not.

Also grew up with the Andersen's restaurants as road stops, the ones in Carlsbad, Santa Nella and Buellton, specifically. My guess is that these inventive Danes found a way to offer cheap fare for travelers that kept them coming back. Not sure how great pea soup is for traveling though, sounds like a sure fire bathroom stop ahead in you ask me.

If you like the pub cheese, Trader Joe's has a very good one and I love the horseradish one. Pea soup and onion cheese bread with poppy seeds, loved it as a kid.

I made it with some barley in the slow cooker last night. Used smoked pork neck bones instead of ham hocks…meatier. Lots of black pepper…and dill

I'm weird, so yeah, I'm fine with it.

neck bones?!

I want to try making my normal split pea soup with red lentils instead. I just need to find some red lentils.

Andersen's split pea soup was fantastic.

Yes, r151 smoked neck bones…much meatier than the smoked hocks. They are usually packaged next to the hocks.

It's delicious. It's childish to call it vomit.

I don't know if they still do it, but Holland America served pea soup outdoors on the decks while their ships cruised by the Alaskan glaciers.

Split pea soup makes me fart. That's not very people-pleasing now, is it fellas?

Why would it make you fart? Is pea a bean?

Peas dont do that R157. Not anymore than any other vegetable.

Actually peas ARE a legume and very high in fiber, so for those who are susceptible, they can cause gas. According to some sources they are not as gas-producing as navy beans or chick peas, but I think this is very individual. I have very few issues with black eyed peas, or chickpeas, but almost all beans whose origins are in the Americas are a problem for me. Split peas are mildly gas-producing for me. And lentils in many formulations are disastrous for me. However, whatever way they are cooked in Indian style (dhal) causes much less of a problem. Other people might have very different reactions.

We've already done a batch of split pea a couple weeks ago and this week we just did a lentil with some chorizo in it. Very tasty!

Is split pea a lentil or a pea?

Split peas are actually peas, closely related to green peas that we eat as fresh vegetables. Some pea varieties have a lot of sugars and those are the ones we eat as vegetables. Some are more starchy, and would not make a particularly tasty vegetable. Those varieties are allowed to mature and dry, sometimes on the vine, then harvested. Lentils are not closely related, but both plants are from the legume family. Indian cookery doesn't distinguish very carefully between lentils and split peas, and both can be called "dhal" - I think it's more the method of cooking, the spices and the fact that they are all legumes, high in protein in a cuisine that is primarily vegetarian for religious reasons and needs vegetable sources of protein.

I think we need a gay cooking show on TLC or something! So many creative dishes.