# Let's talk split pea soup **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133 "2010-11-18T19:31:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/1 "2010-11-18T19:31:17Z")
So, I bought a hamhock at the butcher and plan on making some slow cooker split pea soup tomorrow. I figured I’d pop over here and see if anyone has any particularly yummy recipes or tips they’d like to share for my souping tomorrow. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/2 "2010-11-18T19:36:34Z")
I used a combo of chicken broth and white wine for mine once, turned out great. 😃 I was listening to NPR the other day and Nigella Lawson was on… one of the recipes was for a pea puree with Thai green curry paste. I was thinking I’d try that with some modifications the next time I cook split peas. > **[Cooking With Shortcuts In 'Nigella Kitchen'](https://www.npr.org/2010/11/05/131046732/cooking-with-shortcuts-in-nigella-kitchen)** > > Just because food writer Nigella Lawson loves to cook doesn't mean she always has the time to cook. Her latest book, Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home, is filled with quick recipes. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/3 "2010-11-18T19:38:42Z")
Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top when you serve it. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/4 "2010-11-18T19:49:22Z")
The soup of my forebears, [snert (aka ertwensoep!)](http://dutchfood.about.com/od/soups/r/TraditionalDutchSplitPeaSoup.htm) ---
**Author:** ![stargazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@stargazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stargazer)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/5 "2010-11-18T19:53:14Z")
I use my Nana’s split pea soup recipe (well… more of a guideline than a recipe), and it’s fantastic. Nice and THICK - you’ll need to add water when you reheat it. Split Pea Soup Ingredients: 2 lbs split peas 1 1-1.5 lb meaty smoked ham shank (optional: onion, carrot, celery) 2 ½ tsp Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (I’ll throw some celery salt in there, too, if I have it) 1 ¼ tsp Liquid Smoke ¾ tsp Worcestershire sauce\* ¼ tsp ground rosemary or ground herb blend 1 bay leaf ¼ tsp hot sauce OR cayenne pepper Pinch white pepper\* ¼ - ½ tsp garlic powder Sift through split peas, making sure there are no rocks. Put peas and ham shank in a large (~6 qt) stock pot. Cover with water. (Optional: add a roughly chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot.) Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for ~1 hour, until peas are soft all the way through. Remove meat (and onion, celery, and carrot, if used. Discard the veggies.). Using a stick blender, blend peas and water until smooth. If you don’t have a stick blender, carefully put the peas and water into a regular blender and blend until smooth. You may have to do multiple batches. Add the bay leaf. Pull or cut the meat off the bone, and cut it into small (1/4”) chunks. Discard the bone and the gristle. Add the other ingredients into the peas, to taste. Remove the bay leaf. Put the soup back over medium heat until hot again. Add the meat. Serve. Makes 8-10 servings. \*The last time I made this, I added more Worcestershire sauce and more white pepper, and it needed less salt. It was good, too. Play around with the seasonings until it tastes good to you! Hmm, I have some in the freezer… maybe that’ll be my lunch today! ---
**Author:** ![Loisseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/2bfe46/32.png) [@Loisseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loisseau)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/6 "2010-11-18T20:07:06Z")
Made this soup many times, Julis Child via Parade magazine then done here excellently: [Split pea soup](http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/split_pea_soup/) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/7 "2010-11-21T04:49:24Z")
Ya know, I’ve tried to make SP soup about a hundred times from scratch, and I’ve never even come close to regular old Campbell’s quality. I’ma try these recipes over the next few weeks. Just wanted to say “thanks” y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/8 "2010-11-21T05:47:26Z")
A touch of marjoram for the scent and a handful of finely minced carrot for a little color. Put the broth somewhere cool overnight and scoop off some or all of the fat. A cheating trick my father told me: If your soup isn’t thick enough for your druthers, add a little bit of instant mashed potato, dry from the box. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/9 "2010-11-21T17:09:23Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The soup of my forebears, [snert (aka ertwensoep!)](http://dutchfood.about.com/od/soups/r/TraditionalDutchSplitPeaSoup.htm) Snert is good stuff. Extremely filling and warming - real winter food. It’s not mentioned in that recipe, but traditionally, it’s served accompanied with thinly sliced smoked bacon on [Frysian rye bread](http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Roggebrood1137.JPG) (a very dense and slightly sticky variant of rye bread made with broken - not milled - rye). ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/10 "2010-11-21T17:14:41Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Snert is good stuff. Extremely filling and warming - real winter food. It’s not mentioned in that recipe, but traditionally, it’s served accompanied with thinly sliced smoked bacon on [Frysian rye bread](http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Roggebrood1137.JPG) (a very dense and slightly sticky variant of rye bread made with broken - not milled - rye). From the text just before the recipe== > [@](#): > > It’s traditional to serve this hearty winter soup with slices of rookworst (smoked sausage) and rye bread topped with katenspek (a type of smoked Dutch bacon). ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/11 "2010-11-21T17:25:51Z")
I have cans of [this](http://www.amazon.com/Habitant-Frnch-Can-Soup-12ct/dp/B001682QB6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=grocery&qid=1290360301&sr=8-1)in my desk drawer at work, so I’ll proffer a suggestion veering a little North of the border: [http://montreal.about.com/od/foodwine/r/split\_pea\_soup.htm](http://montreal.about.com/od/foodwine/r/split_pea_soup.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/12 "2010-11-21T18:53:03Z")
[Old Man] Back in my day we called it liberty bean soup. [/OM] ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2010, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-talk-split-pea-soup/561133/13 "2010-11-22T03:09:49Z")
Celery, garlic and chopped up onions added to the soup take it to another level and if you must some finely diced carrots are great.