lulu said:
I made a lovely split pea soup but its simply too salty,... Its not aggressively salty, just more that I personally like and was wondering how anyone else would deal with it.
FYI Ingredients were: red onion, carrots, celery, yellow split peas, powdered vegatable stock and thats it! Simple huh?
Lulu - I think the problem was the powdered veg. stock. I also do not know how much water you added, but that is secondary; you can always evaporate the water.
Try this method:
Melt some butter in the pan. add the onions, and fry gently until the onions wilt. Add the carrots and celery, and cook for 2 minutes. Now add the split peas, cook for another minute, and add a 1/2 tsp sea salt, and the water - cover the vegetables and add another 2 inches of water, at least. Bring to the boil, and simmer for about 20 minutes. The split peas will have absorbed lots of water, so you can add more, half a cup at a time. Cook for another 6-8 minutes, then taste. You'll probably need more salt, so add a little more. Add more water, because you don't want a solid soup! When the peas are cooked (a wild guess would be 30-40 minutes), taste again. Look at the texture, too - if it's too thick, you'll need more water. Keep going AND tasting until your soup is the right texture and saltiness.
The vegetables will release their natural salts, so the veg stock is irrelevant, for me. Taste again, then, just before serving, add a knob of butter, which will add a velvety texture to the soup.
Now you can add a few fresh, chopped herbs, ( I love coriander with this soup) or a pinch of curry powder, or a "tarka" - quick fried, thinly sliced onions in butter, with a 1/2 tsp mustard seeds.
Let us know, ok?