Split Pea Soup with Ham Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do I make my ham and pea soup thicker? ›

If you want a smooth soup, puree with an immersion blender. If you were short on peas, you can thicken with a slurry—a raw starch such as rice flour or cornstarch mixed with water, then whisked into the soup. The soup needs to come to a boil for the starch to gelatinize.

Most split peas (like lentils) do not require soaking, but if you are unsure or if you have had trouble in the past with your split peas not softening in a timely manner, I would soak them to ensure they don't take hours to cook.

Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down during cooking and also as it sits, especially if refrigerated. If it's too thick for your liking, you can easily thin it by adding a bit of chicken or vegetable broth, or even water, until you reach your desired consistency.

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.

If the soup seems too thick, then add some water or broth. If it's too thin, take off the lid for the last few minutes of cooking so the extra liquid has some place to go. Remove the pot from the heat and taste it. If it needs salt or pepper, this would be the time to add it.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas.

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.

Rinse split peas before cooking. Place 1 cup of split peas in a large pot with 2 cups of water and ½ tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until smooth, 25 minutes.

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!"

Why is my split pea soup not mushy? ›

Why Are My Split Peas Not Softening? 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.

If you add to many peas its not a problem because you can add more water to thin it out a little. On the other hand if you don't put in enough and have to add more it will overcook the peas you put in first. If you cook peas for too long the soup turns a brown color more than a green color.

I like to add carrots and chunks of ham …” I took notes as I imagined the flavors of the soup developing in the pot, the sauteed onions and carrots sweetening the earthy peas, the ham adding a hint of smokiness.

Add a bit of lemon zest to make those peas really sing. You can try the fresh pea approach with your favorite split pea soup recipe, but this super traditional, easy version is an Epicurious favorite.

Using a meaty, uncleaned ham bone is what gives this soup it's amazingly rich and savory flavor. If your ham bone is small, or you are using a ham bone substitute: Be prepared to add up to 4 chicken bouillon cubes to the broth to add more flavor if needed.

Step 2: Thicken the soup.

Sprinkle in flour then cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. The addition of flour to the Ham and Bean Soup will give it a nice velvety texture.

I've never eating it that thick myself, though. The starches and the gelatin will form a mesh when cooling, so the consistency of the pea-soup will always be thick when cold.

One of the simplest ways to thicken up your ham and bean soup is by adding more beans. The beans will naturally release starch as they cook, which will help to thicken the soup. You can either mash a portion of the cooked beans with a fork or blend them in a food processor before adding them back to the soup.

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.