Split Pea Soup

[Kayelle]

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.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks for the post GW.

 

[Yakuta]

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.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

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

 

[Claire]

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.

 

[Kayelle]

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?

 

[Rocklobster]

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.

 

[Kayelle]

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.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

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

 

[JMediger]

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!

 

[Constance]

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.

 

[LindaZ]

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.

 

[jennyema]

Binding= emulsifying

 

[Zhizara]

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.

 

[Zhizara]

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

 

[Zhizara]

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.

 

[Barbara L]

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.

Sounds good!

Barbara

 

[PrincessFiona60]

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

 

[Zhizara]

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.

 

[vitauta]

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.