Split Pea Soup
I give you 3 ways to make this soup - using the stove top, an Instant Pot or a Slow Cooker.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or other vegetable oil
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 2 small carrots (chopped)
- 1 medium onion (peeled and chopped)
- 2-3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced, optional)
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 454 grams green split peas (1 lb)
- 1.9 liter water or stock, or a mix (8 cups)
- 1 smoked pork hock (or)
- 3 rashers of bacon (or)
- 100-200 grams cubed cooked ham
- 1/2-1 teaspoon liquid smoke (or)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or)
- cubed smoked tofu (or)
- smoked salt (to taste)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
- splash of red wine vinegar
- chopped fresh parsley
Rinse your split peas and check for, and remove, any pebbles.
Heat a large pot - preferably with a thick bottom - over medium heat and add the oil. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in the oil until they have softened and the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes (if using bacon, add it here).
Add the bay leaf and the (optional) garlic and stir around for a minute or so.
Add the rinsed split peas and mix with the oil and vegetables.
Add the water and the optional solid smokey things: smoked pork hock, cubed ham or smoked tofu. Bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down as low as possible, put the lid on the pot and cook stirring every 30-45 minutes (to make sure that the split peas don't stick to the bottom of the pot and burn) for a total of about 3-4 hours.
If you used the pork hock, lift it out of the soup onto a plate or a cutting board and pull the meat from the bone. It should shred easily. I discard the bone, skin and any large chunks of fat, some people keep the skin and fat in the soup. You may want to shred the meat or chop the chunks finer. Add the meat chunks back to the soup.
If you're doing the vegan version, add the smoked paprika or liquid smoke here. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley.
Rinse your split peas and check for, and remove, any pebbles.
Using the sauté function, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in the oil until they have softened and the onions are translucent, about 5-8 minutes (if using bacon, add it here).
Add the bay leaf, the (optional) garlic, the rinsed split peas, the water and the optional solid smokey things: smoked pork hock, cubed ham or smoked tofu.
Process on high pressure for 15-18 minutes and allow pressure to release naturally, maybe another 15 minutes.
If you used the pork hock, lift it out of the soup onto a plate or a cutting board and pull the meat from the bone. It should shred easily. I discard the bone, skin and any large chunks of fat, some people keep the skin and fat in the soup. You may want to shred the meat or chop the chunks finer. Add the meat chunks back to the soup.
If you're doing the vegan version, add the smoked paprika or liquid smoke here. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley.
Rinse your split peas and check for, and remove, any pebbles.
Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. If you are cooking it on high, stir every 45 minutes to and hour just to make sure that the split peas don't stick to the bottom and burn.
If you used the pork hock, lift it out of the soup onto a plate or a cutting board and pull the meat from the bone. It should shred easily. I discard the bone, skin and any large chunks of fat, some people keep the skin and fat in the soup. You may want to shred the meat or chop the chunks finer. Add the meat chunks back to the soup.
If you're doing the vegan version, add the smoked paprika or liquid smoke here. Remove the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Finish with parsley.
