# Need help cooking split peas **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2007, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010 "2007-01-07T03:16:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/21 "2007-01-08T16:02:25Z")
Simple Moroccan-style recipe for yellow split peas - sauté a finely chopped clove of garlic in oil, add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and mix well, without allowing the garlic to burn. Mix in a cup or so of yellow split peas. Add a cup or so of boiling water and boil till mushy, adding small amounts of water if it starts to look too dry. Add salt and pepper to taste, and some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. Can be jazzed up with ginger (sauté with or instead of the garlic) and garnished with chopped fresh coriander as an option. I’m sure you can also use cumin powder instead of turmeric. Bon appetit! ---
**Author:** ![Godfrey\_Daniels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Godfrey\_Daniels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Godfrey_Daniels)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2007, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/22 "2007-01-08T16:31:22Z")
I made this simple (but delish) recipe last night: 1 12 oz. bag split peas, rinsed & picked over 1/2 lg onion, diced 1 lg clove garlic, minced about 1/2 tsp salt, same for black pepper & Emeril’s Essence 8 - 10 oz ham, roughly cubed 1 -2 tbsp olive oil In an 8 qt heavy pot over medium high heat: Saute ham, onions and garlic in olive oil til onions are translucent. Careful not to burn garlic. I usually do the ham & onions for a bit first, then toss in the garlic. Add split peas & stir well. Add salt, pepper & Essence, stir. Add 4 cups of water, maybe a little more or less, bring to a good rolling boil, reduce heat to medium low. After peas are tender, remove about 1 cup peas and puree in blender or mash through a strainer, return to pot, stir well. Cook for another half hour or so. Serve with hot buttered cornbread. The wife likes to add a dollop of sour cream to hers, I prefer mine straight. I’m having some leftover for lunch today, mmmm,mmmm! ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/23 "2007-01-09T02:52:50Z")
[QUOTE=Martha] Simple Moroccan-style recipe for yellow split peas \ [/QUOTE] That sounds delish. I have to check the cupboard & see if I still have enough turmeric. What the heck though, I should always have some turmeric on hand. For those of you who are vegetarian a friend of mine sent me a little bottle of [Colgin Liquid Smoke.](http://colgin.com/public/default.aspx) No sodium, no MSG, no animal stuff. It adds a great smoky flavor to things like ham hock-containing split pea/lentil type dishes. You should check it out. It’s great stuff and I add it to my dishes meat or not. Just a few drops adds an immense “certain something” it’s hard to duplicate otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/24 "2007-01-09T03:08:55Z")
Try simmering the peas in left over corned beef broth. It’s outstanding. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/25 "2007-01-09T03:52:43Z")
[QUOTE=badkittypriestess] Split Pea and Ham Hock Soup Recipe copyright 1996, Emeril Lagasse. All rights reserved [/QUOTE] I removed the recipe from your post, **badkittypriestess**. Please don’t post copyrighted material. > [@Registration Agreement](#): > > You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by the operator of the SDMB, except as permitted by the “fair use” provisions of the U.S. copyright laws (in general this means brief excerpts only). You agree to abide by the wishes of the board moderators in interpreting and enforcing these rules. Refusal to cooperate with board moderators or to abide by these rules is grounds for revocation of your posting privileges. From [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=347160). No worries, though. You’ll know it for the future. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/26 "2007-01-09T04:36:07Z")
[QUOTE=Baker] \snip [/QUOTE] I don’t get it - why is his peas not tender after soaking for “hours”, but “just rinse and boil” works fine? ---
**Author:** ![badkittypriestess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8baadc/32.png) [@badkittypriestess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badkittypriestess)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/27 "2007-01-09T06:45:58Z")
Split Pea and Ham Hock Soup See: [Astray Recipes: Split pea & ham hock soup](http://www.astray.com/recipes/?show=Split%20pea%20%26%20ham%20hock%20soup) My bad for posting this wrong. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/28 "2007-01-09T06:59:07Z")
[QUOTE=Fritz] I don’t get it - why is his peas not tender after soaking for “hours”, but “just rinse and boil” works fine? [/QUOTE] Heat breaks down vegetable matter and speeds up the absorbtion of water. Try putting some dry rice, dry pasta and sun dried tomatoes in a quart of water. Not much is going to happen, at least not for quite a while. Put the same substances in a quart of boiling water, and things happen quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Fritz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c57346/32.png) [@Fritz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fritz)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/29 "2007-01-09T17:06:49Z")
[QUOTE=Random] Heat breaks down vegetable matter and speeds up the absorbtion of water. Try putting some dry rice, dry pasta and sun dried tomatoes in a quart of water. Not much is going to happen, at least not for quite a while. Put the same substances in a quart of boiling water, and things happen quickly. [/QUOTE] I’ll put it another way… You need to soak “dried legumes” for a certain amount of time before cooking to soften them up. The OP says that soaking split peas before cooking result in peas that are not tender. Why are split peas different? ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/30 "2007-01-09T19:41:59Z")
**badkittypriestess** , you not only published the copyright material once, you did it again? Sheeeesh. I’ve deleted the recipe and provided a link. Our policy on copyright material may be found [in Post #3 of “Rules for Posting on the Straight Dope Message Boards”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=384736) and in [Cafe Society Forum Rules, Post #2](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343601) Recipes are indeed subject to copyright. ---
**Author:** ![Sonia\_Montdore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Sonia\_Montdore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sonia_Montdore)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010/31 "2007-01-09T19:59:14Z")
If you don’t have a ham bone handy, you can use Ham Soup Base from Penzey’s: [HomePage | Penzeys](http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssoupbase.html) It’s very tasty, though a tad salty, so don’t add any extra salt when cooking. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-help-cooking-split-peas/387010.md?page=1)