Split Pea Soup with Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What thickens split pea soup? ›

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.

Split peas absorb lots of water as they cook, so check the soup often and add liquid as needed. The peas only need to be cooked until they are tender. But if you like a smoother, creamier texture, cook them longer until they soften and fall apart.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Using onions, garlic, and fresh spices like thyme will add flavor to the soup. The real trick to making a bland pea soup extra tasty is using a bone or ham hock in the soup during the cooking process. Chicken broth will also add flavor to the soup.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute.

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas. Add the lentils, allow water to return to boiling, reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the variety.

If your split peas are hard after this length of cooking time, there is something wrong with the peas or with your water. 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.

Update: If you overcook, the soup will get even thicker than usual! and turn a little bit of an olive drab color--it will still taste good though!"

In this soup, the peas should be soft after about 1 to 1 1/2 hours cooking time. If you take a taste after this time and they haven't softened, your peas are likely stale. Buy a fresh batch before making the soup again.

Cornstarch and arrowroot powder are often used as thickening agents in cooking. To thicken split pea soup using either of these, mix 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder with an equal amount of cold water to create a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering soup while stirring continuously.

Why is my pea and ham soup watery? ›

If your pea and ham soup is looking a bit watery, don't despair: just keep cooking until you get closer to your desired texture. While some recipes say to thicken with cornflour, this is not necessary. Just be patient and keep simmering. Remember the soup will thicken as it cools.

It's important to note that cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. If you need to substitute cornstarch to thicken liquid in a recipe that calls for ¼ cup (four tablespoons) flour, you only need two tablespoons cornstarch.

Bay leaves, thyme and parsley – fresh or dry herbs work well here. Salt and pepper – I like to wait to add majority of salt until the ham has cooked with the soup, some hams tend to be very salty while others not as much so if you wait you won't over-salt the soup.

The common denominator will probably be meat (ham bones are common), more salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use bouillon cubes or paste to provide both meaty flavor and salt, though pork is a lot harder to find than chicken or beef. Salt and pepper you can just stir in.

I like plenty of carrots in my pea soup. Then I add some sort of smoked meat: ham hocks if I can get them, smoked turkey legs or necks if I can't. Bacon at a pinch, but don't cook it in the soup. Pull it out, use the fat to saute the veggies, then use the crisp bacon bits as a garnish when you serve.

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

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

Digestive spices such as hing, ginger, and cumin help to make split pea soup less gas-producing. Rinsing and soaking your split peas also helps them to create less gas.

If the peas aren't softening after the second simmering, stir in ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the pot. It will foam up at first but subsides as it cooks. This should quickly soften the peas with a little more while simmering!