Split pea soup
Green split peas simmered with carrot, celery and thyme until thick and creamy, with smoked paprika in place of ham. Makes 4.
- Hands-on
- 20 min
- Total time
75 min, show breakdown
- Prep 10 min
- Cook 60 min
- Clean up 5 min
- Pans
- 1
- Ingredients
- 11
- Cost/serving
- $1.65
Per serving
- Calories
- 412
- Protein
- 26 g
- Fiber
- 27 g
- Net carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 5 g
High in (% Daily Value per serving): Folate 73%, Thiamin (B1) 63%, Vitamin A 39%, Magnesium 31%, Iron 29%, Zinc 29%, Potassium 28%, Vitamin K 27%, Niacin (B3) 22%, Riboflavin (B2) 20%
Whole recipe (): . Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.
Everything else is scaled from this.
Nutrition per serving is the whole batch divided by this.
Already vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.
Ingredients for 4
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You changed this recipe. Nutrition and cost include your changes. This combination hasn't been tested.
2 cups green split peas, dry (392 g)
Same amount as: 480 mL.
- 1 medium onion (110 g)
- 2 medium carrots (120 g)
- 2 stalks celery (80 g)
3 cloves garlic, smashed (9 g)
Same amount as: 3 tsp fresh minced garlic, 1½ tsp jarred minced garlic, ⅜ tsp garlic powder.
1 tsp dried thyme (1 g)
Same amount as: 5 mL.
1 tsp paprika (2.3 g), smoked if you have it
Same amount as: 5 mL.
1 tbsp olive oil (14 g)
Same amount as: 15 mL.
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (960 g)
Same amount as: 960 mL.
3 cups water (720 g)
Same amount as: 720 mL.
1 tbsp lemon juice (15 g)
Same amount as: 15 mL, ¼ lemon squeezed from fresh lemons.
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Use the menu next to each ingredient to skip it, halve it or add more. Nutrition updates as you go. The main ingredient changes with servings instead.
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Adds about 0 kcal per serving.
Quantities are for 4 servings. Keeps 5 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen. It sets almost solid when cold.
Nutrition Facts
4 servings per recipe
Serving size 1 plate (606 g raw)
| Nutrient | Per serving | % DV* | Whole recipe |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 412 | ||
| Total fat | 5 g | 6% | |
| Saturated fat | 0.7 g | 4% | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium | 348 mg | 15% | |
| Total carbohydrate | 69 g | 25% | |
| Dietary fiber | 27 g | 96% | |
| Total sugars | 12 g | ||
| Net carbs† | 42 g | ||
| Protein | 26 g | 51% | |
| Vitamin D | 0 mcg | 0% | |
| Calcium | 106 mg | 8% | |
| Iron | 5.3 mg | 29% | |
| Potassium | 1,299 mg | 28% | |
| Vitamin A | 348 mcg | 39% | |
| Vitamin C | 8.5 mg | 9% | |
| Vitamin E | 1 mg | 7% | |
| Vitamin K | 32 mcg | 27% | |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.76 mg | 63% | |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.26 mg | 20% | |
| Niacin (B3) | 3.6 mg | 22% | |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 mg | 18% | |
| Folate | 291 mcg | 73% | |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 mcg | 0% | |
| Magnesium | 130 mg | 31% | |
| Zinc | 3.2 mg | 29% | |
| Selenium | 2.2 mcg | 4% |
Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.
* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.
Steps
Rinse the split peas in a sieve and pick out any small stones. Dice the onion, carrots and celery. Mince the garlic.
Heat the oil in the pot on medium. Cook the onion, carrot and celery for 8 minutes, stirring now and then.
Done looks like: Onion soft and see-through, carrot starting to soften. Stir in the garlic, thyme and paprika for 30 seconds. Add the split peas, broth and water. Turn the heat to high.
Done looks like: Garlic and thyme smell strong; nothing is burnt. When it boils, turn it down so it bubbles gently. Cover with the lid slightly open. Simmer 45–50 minutes, scraping the bottom every 10 minutes.
Done looks like: Peas have collapsed into a thick, creamy soup with a few whole ones left. For a smoother soup, mash hard against the side of the pot with a spoon for a minute. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste, then add salt and pepper.
Equipment
Large pot or Dutch oven, 5 L (5 qt) $30–80
What to look for
- Heavy base so soups and chili do not scorch
- Lid that fits
Skip: Enameled cast iron is lovely but not needed. A heavy stainless pot works.
Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50
What to look for
- Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
- Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years
Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.
Cutting board $10–30
What to look for
- At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
- Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher
Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.
What goes wrong
| What | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Peas still hard after an hour | Old split peas, or salt and acid added too early. | Keep simmering 15–20 minutes more with a splash of water. Add salt and lemon only at the end. |
| Scorched on the bottom | The peas sink and stick as the soup thickens. | Keep the heat low and scrape the bottom when you stir. Don't scrape burnt bits into the soup. |
| Too thick after a day in the fridge | Split peas keep absorbing liquid. | Add water ½ cup at a time when you reheat. |
Notes
Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.