# Split Pea Soup



## JMediger (Jan 26, 2011)

So I made a crock pot of split pea soup yesterday, or at least I tried.  I did what I always do ... Chop one onion, 2 handfuls of baby carrots, and 1 ham steak, place in crock pot with one, one pound bag of rinsed, split green peas and 8 cups chicken stock.  I set it on the 10 hour setting and left for work.  Got home, the house smelled wonderful but when I went to stir it, I found the peas were still solid, little pieces!  Normally, after 10 hours they are just mush when I stir it, just how we like it.  I set it out in garage overnight (a balmy 33 degrees) and plugged it back in today to no avail.  It's grainy and just tastes like overcooked ham.  

What do you think?  Did I get bad peas?  Anyone else have this happen?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 26, 2011)

If you were using split peas, I'm not sure what the problem was.  Nothing in your recipe would have even caused beans to stay hard.  The only thing I can suggest is to place the soup  into a large sauce pan and gently boil for about 45 minutes.  The peas should absorb water and soften.  If your crock pot setting was incorrect (too low) then the peas wouldn't cook.

I always cook my pea soup on the stove top as it only takes about an hour, maybe a bit more from start to finish, and the peas are completely cooked.  When I stir it, everything becomes homogeneous, except for the meat of course.  And my soup is thick enough that I don't have to add roux as a binder.

Hope this helps.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Rocklobster (Jan 26, 2011)

I agree with GW. Pea soup isn`t something I would ever try in a slow cooker.


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## JMediger (Jan 26, 2011)

Thank you for your quick responses!  I actually always do it in the slow cooker.  Sometimes I set it for 8 hours, other times 10.  I am thinking I may have to stick with the 8 hours ... Although, it was bubbling pretty good when I got home and it still had an hour left.  It's so perplexing. I make this at least once a month and have never had a problem.


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## Andy M. (Jan 26, 2011)

Use a hand blender or regular blender to puree the soup.


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## Zhizara (Jan 26, 2011)

Actually I'm surprised you ever got it to work in a crock pot.  Even when cooking split peas on the stove top, they need stirring, or they won't all get softened.


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## luvs (Jan 26, 2011)

i crockpot my pea soup 4 a few days & that purees itself


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## Robo410 (Jan 26, 2011)

yes a blender will do the trick, or a food processor. If you got an old bag of peas they are longer to soften, but...

I made pea soup yesterday too. Love it!


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## jennyema (Jan 26, 2011)

Pea and lentil soup are so fast on the stove.

But anyway, your peas might have been old.  Old dry legumes sometimes never soften no matter what you do to them.


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## Kayelle (Jan 26, 2011)

jennyema said:


> Pea and lentil soup are so fast on the stove.
> 
> But anyway, your peas might have been old.  Old dry legumes sometimes never soften no matter what you do to them.



Jenny just beat me too it.  I bet I've made a hundred pots of split pea soup in my lifetime, and once they never did soften.  I think they were old.


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## pacanis (Jan 26, 2011)

Uh-oh... I had better get my butt in gear and make the split pea soup I bought the peas for several months ago. I didn't realize they could go bad and not soften.


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## Lorrae (Jan 26, 2011)

It could be that your crock pot is losing some of its heating ability and isn't getting to the desired temperature, or that something has changed regarding the inner humidity (ie: maybe the lining of the lid isn't as tight - so the moisture is escaping?)  

I recently had to replace my crockpot - it was my mothers, and just wasn't cooking properly anymore.  Perhaps something similar is the problem!  I hope it can be resolved! :]


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## Caslon (Jan 27, 2011)

Noticing the ingredients you all use, I notice one thing missing. My mom used to take the left over Easter ham bone with some meat on it and include that. Maybe it was the thing that set her off to make it. She would only make split pea soup if she had that ingredient. She didn't use a crock pot, so maybe having a large ham bone in one would take up too much space?


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## Zhizara (Jan 27, 2011)

Caslon said:


> Noticing the ingredients you all use, I notice one thing missing. My mom used to take the left over Easter ham bone with some meat on it and include that. Maybe it was the thing that set her off to make it. She would only make split pea soup if she had that ingredient. She didn't use a crock pot, so maybe having a large ham bone in one would take up too much space?



I save my pork roast bones and pork butt bones with some extra meat for any kind of beans.  If I have used them up, I buy smoked turkey neck bones for a wonderful flavor.  Or smoked ham hocks.  YUM.

I have a feeling most people do, but just don't mention it.


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## joesfolk (Jan 27, 2011)

I don't think that pureeing them is going to help.  It wouldn't cook them any more.  You would just end up with smaller hard little bits.


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## Kayelle (Jan 27, 2011)

pacanis said:


> Uh-oh... I had better get my butt in gear and make the split pea soup I bought the peas for several months ago. I didn't realize they could go bad and not soften.



Pacanis, my guess is that the peas that don't soften are "years" old, either stuck at the back of a grocery shelf, or stuck at the back of pantry shelf.  Never fear with a bag "several months old".  Just the same, get those ham hocks ready Bud! 

As Z mentioned, I don't think you can make a good pot of pea soup without bones, my favorite being a  meaty ham bone or ham hocks.


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## pacanis (Jan 27, 2011)

I've got a bone all lined up. My sister asked me if I wanted the bone from their Christmas ham and stuck it in the freezer for me. It will be my first time making split pea soup.


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## Zhizara (Jan 27, 2011)

pacanis said:


> I've got a bone all lined up. My sister asked me if I wanted the bone from their Christmas ham and stuck it in the freezer for me. It will be my first time making split pea soup.



Let us know when you're ready and we'll give you some tricks and tips.  It's got a couple of tricky issues.


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## pacanis (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks. Will do.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 27, 2011)

Pea Soup, A Primer

Pea soup comes in thee main forms, Split Pea Soup, Pea Soup, and Yellow Pea Soup. 

Split pea soup is a rich, and savory soup made from split peas, onion, salt and water.  Other flavors that make it better include smoky pork, as in ham, ham bone, and ham hocks or shanks. onion, and grated carrot.   The following is just one example of split pea soup.  It's the way we like it in our house.
Ingredients:
2 cups cubed, smoky ham
1 ham bone
1 lb. split peas
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
water
2 tbs. butter

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the chopped onion and carrot and saute until soft.  Add 2 cups of water and the split peas.  Stir to keep the peas from clumping and bring to a light boil.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the carrot, ham, and ham bone, and enough water to cover everything by 2 inches.  Cover and simmer over a medium flame for 30 minutes more.  Remove the lid and taste the broth.  If required, correct the seasoning to taste with salt and garlic powder.  Remove the bone and stir.  The peas should start to disintegrate now.  Stir every 10 minutes or so until the peas are completely incorporatged into the soup.Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.  If the solids sing to the bottom, you will need to bind the soup.

Binding the soup:  Melt three tbs. butter or cooking oil in a clean frying pan.  Add three heaping tbs. of flour to the oil and heat until bubbling.  Stir to make sue all of the flour is coated with the cooking oil.  This is called a roux.  When the roux is bubbling, ladle a half cup of soup broth into the roux, while stirring.  When the two are blended, a thick paste will have formed.  Stir in more broth to thin it out.  Add the binding liquid back into the soup and bring to a rolling boil, stirring to avoid scorching the soup.  Remove from heat and serve with pepper and good bread.

Yellow split pea soup
Similar to the green split pea soup, but generally isn't as thick, and has pepper added to the soup.

Ingredients:

Ingredients:
2 cups diced, smoky ham
1 lb. split peas
1 large, sweet onion, chopped
2 cups water
2 tbs. butter
Again, sweat teh onions in butter, then add the yellow split peas and ham.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Stir gently as you don't want to create the same thick soup as above.  This soup has more broth.  Add the ham and an extra 2 tbs. butter to enhance the soup flavor.

Pea soup:
Follow ingredients and directions as for green split pea soup, except use whole dried peas in place of the split peas.

Various herbs such as curry, nutmeg, and coriander can be successfully added to the soup.  Enjoy.

Seeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Kayelle (Jan 27, 2011)

I'd agree with all of that  GW till you get to 





> If the solids sing to the bottom, you will need to bind the soup.


. A binder?  Why would you do that, just curious. I just cook it more, the longer it cooks the better it gets in my opinion.


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## pacanis (Jan 27, 2011)

Thanks for the post GW.


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## Yakuta (Jan 27, 2011)

Old beans as others indicated.  I had a similar issue with black garbanzo beans.  They are anyway, much much tougher but old garbanzo beans will remain rock hard.  

I have cooked the dozen or so beans I keep in my pantry in a crockpot at various points and they get cook just fine in 8 hours.  I normally do this overnight. 

Another technique to cook them fast is put them in a pot, cover with water and bring them to a boil.  Then cover and let them rest for 2 hours.  Then you can cook them overnight or however you want and they will soften and cook in no time.  I do this with all the hard beans. 

Goodluck.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 27, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I'd agree with all of that  GW till you get to . A binder?  Why would you do that, just curious. I just cook it more, the longer it cooks the better it gets in my opinion.



The binder is typically used when you have to feed a crowd and don't have to make a very large batch of soup.  The solids will tend to settle.  The binder keeps everything is suspension and doesn't have a negative effect on the flavor.  In fact, if butter is used to make the roux, and it's seasoned with a little chicken soup base, or salt, it can actually make the soup richer in flavor, if, more calorie intense.

Seeeeeeya;  Goodweed of the North


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## Claire (Jan 27, 2011)

I don't do it in the crock pot any more (after all, I'm home all day), but when I was gainfully employed I did often.  I can think of one thing.  If you forgot to stir everything before you left, or had the peas under the ham steak, you might have created an "envelope" where the peas were not separated at all by some stock.  Some how they stuck together and didn't allow the stock to surround the peas.


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## Kayelle (Jan 27, 2011)

Goodweed of the North said:


> The binder is typically used when you have to feed a crowd and don't have to make a very large batch of soup.  The solids will tend to settle.  The binder keeps everything is suspension and doesn't have a negative effect on the flavor.  In fact, if butter is used to make the roux, and it's seasoned with a little chicken soup base, or salt, it can actually make the soup richer in flavor, if, more calorie intense.
> 
> Seeeeeeya;  Goodweed of the North



I guess I'm still not understanding GW.  By the time mine is finished cooking there are no solids left, other than the bits of ham. I cook mine a very long time.  Are you saying your peas have not become a liquid? If not, what are the solids?


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## Rocklobster (Jan 27, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I'd agree with all of that GW till you get to . A binder? Why would you do that, just curious. I just cook it more, the longer it cooks the better it gets in my opinion.


I make it every friday at the restaurant. I bind it with 1 part flour to 1 part margerine(only because it is less expensive than butter). A lot of cooks use flour and canola oil and stir it into a slurry cold then pour it in while wisking. One main reason I bind it is because the waiting staff is too impatient and incompetent to stir it sufficiently before serving it.


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## Kayelle (Jan 27, 2011)

Rocklobster said:


> I make it every friday at the restaurant. I bind it with 1 part flour to 1 part margerine(only because it is less expensive than butter). A lot of cooks use flour and canola oil and stir it into a slurry cold then pour it in while wisking. One main reason I bind it is because the waiting staff is too impatient and incompetent to stir it sufficiently before serving it.



Ahhh Haaa now I understand Rock.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 27, 2011)

Even when a large pot of pea soup has been made properly, if it sits for a while, as in a restaurant, the suspended particles will settle to the pot bottom, leaving you with an almost clear broth on top.  All non-clear liquids have solids in them.  When the solids are heavier that the water, they will slowly sink.

You won't have that problem at home as the soup is gently boiling, which keeps everything in motion.  This make the mixture of water, and solids more homogeneous.  The fats seperate and rise to the top as they are more buoyant than the water.  The seperation natually occurs if the liquid stands still for sufficient time.

When a binder is added, it holds all of the ingredients in suspension in the liquid, and doesn't allow them to separate.

Also, if you happen to add too much water to your pea soup, the same separation will occur.  Again, a binder becomes needed.

Finally, there are people who don't like their soup with a heavy peas-soup flavor.  It can be too strong for some.  In that case, a binder, and a little cream adds richness, and dilutes the flavor just enough to satisfy those people.

There is no "one perfect way" of making anything.  I try to make the foods I prepare work for everyone at the table.  I've even been known to make the same food in multiple ways so that each person has their favorite version of it.  Most people say that that is ridiculous.  I say that I'm giving my best for my guests, or family, even if it takes more work.  It's just the way I do things.  It's almost a compulsion for me to go the extra mile.
It's what drives me to keep improving my techniques, to try other flavors, other textures, other food types.  And when I find something really good, I have to share it.  It's just who I am.

Seeeeeya;  Goodweed of the North


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## JMediger (Jan 27, 2011)

Thank you all for your perspectives - I appreciate them all!

I'm going with the "old peas" reason ... There is absolutely nothing I'm doing differently then every other time.  My crock pot losing steam might be legit, I'll experiment with another recipe next week.

I wouldn't mind trying it in a pot but it would need to be over the weekend, we get home too late for an hour or more prep dinner which is why I LOVE my crock pot.

Thank you all again!


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## Constance (Jan 27, 2011)

Funny...I had the opposite thing happen a few weeks ago. Went to check the soup after a couple of hours and the peas had disappeared. The broth tasted great, so I dumped in some canned field peas and saved it, but I have no idea what happened.


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## LindaZ (Jan 27, 2011)

JMediger said:


> So I made a crock pot of split pea soup yesterday, or at least I tried. I did what I always do ... Chop one onion, 2 handfuls of baby carrots, and 1 ham steak, place in crock pot with one, one pound bag of rinsed, split green peas and 8 cups chicken stock. I set it on the 10 hour setting and left for work. Got home, the house smelled wonderful but when I went to stir it, I found the peas were still solid, little pieces! Normally, after 10 hours they are just mush when I stir it, just how we like it. I set it out in garage overnight (a balmy 33 degrees) and plugged it back in today to no avail. It's grainy and just tastes like overcooked ham.
> 
> What do you think? Did I get bad peas? Anyone else have this happen?


 
First off, let me say, I'm no fan of split pea soup - eww! I used to have to eat it as a child and it was gross - probably the way it was cooked. However, I have heard that beans/lentils etc with a high sugar content will not cook well in a crockpot. Did you buy the same brand of peas you usually buy? Maybe this batch had a higher sugar/starch content for some reason? Perhaps they way they were grown, area of the country?  I sometimes have trouble getting navy beans to cook all the way through in the crockpot on the 10 hour cycle, even after soaking all night. Bean/lentil type recipies are iffy for me in the crock pot.


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## jennyema (Jan 27, 2011)

Binding= emulsifying


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## Zhizara (Jan 28, 2011)

Kayelle said:


> I guess I'm still not understanding GW.  By the time mine is finished cooking there are no solids left, other than the bits of ham. I cook mine a very long time.  Are you saying your peas have not become a liquid? If not, what are the solids?



KL, I thing he means when the extra liquid floats on top of the gelled or "solid" soup.


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## Zhizara (Jan 28, 2011)

I just stir it in.  I like it a little thinner.  It can get pretty "solid" after a night in the fridge.


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## Zhizara (Jan 28, 2011)

Here's a delicious twist on Split Peas:

ZHIZARA’S LIMA BEAN & SPLIT PEA SOUP​ 
1 Big Hambone or any bone or joint with meat on it or ham hocks  I even use Jenni-O turkey ham added at the end sometimes.

Switch meats around for different flavors.

Lots of water
1 C Baby Lima Beans
1 C Split Peas
1 Chopped Onion
2-3 Smashed Garlic Cloves
1 Bay Leaf

Cook.  You know what to do.

Don’t forget to stir.   Both Baby Limas and Split Peas cook quickly enough that they cook together well.

Remove bone when you can push the meat off the bone easily. 

Cool and clean up meat, cut coarsely and add back to the pot when the beans are done.   

Stir and adjust seasoning when ready to serve.  

What’s especially nice about this soup is the contrast of first tasting the split pea soup, then biting into the soft Baby Limas  for a burst of  different flavor.  YUM.


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## Barbara L (Jan 28, 2011)

Zhizara said:


> Here's a delicious twist on Split Peas:
> 
> ZHIZARA’S LIMA BEAN & SPLIT PEA SOUP​
> 1 Big Hambone or any bone or joint with meat on it or ham hocks  I even use Jenni-O turkey ham added at the end sometimes.
> ...


Sounds good!

Barbara


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 28, 2011)

I like both split peas and limas...should be good.  Copied and pasted!


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## Zhizara (Jan 28, 2011)

Thank you Princess.  It was one of those necessity being the mother of invention recipes as I didn't have enough of either to go with a huge bone.  I'll do it on purpose now.


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## vitauta (May 19, 2011)

does nobody but me prefer WHOLE green peas over split green peas for making the best pea soup ever?  i go to a lot of trouble and expense to obtain these whole dried peas. unless you are dead set on creammmy pea soup, the little pea shells are fun to munch, as they separate from the soft pea interior.  they are also tasty to eat dry(ish) as a yummy high protein snack.


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## buckytom (May 19, 2011)

the problem with the op's soup wasn't the crock pot, but the amount of liquid required for the dryness of the peas. 

they must have been very old.

i am unable to post it now, but search my username a crock pot split pea soup with ham and you'll gey a tnt (dozens of times tried) recipe for the soup. 

if you have no leftover ham and bone, use rendered bacon and a ham steak. or you can leave it out completely, but it's missing somethimg that way, imo, but vegetarian friends say it's good.


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