Do I soak the beans for Split Pea Soup?

[kurlylox]

Do I need to soak the peas before cooking them.
The bag says soaking not required. The recipe says to soak them.

 

[Charlotte]

Well I know that many recipes say you don't have to...

Being from French Canadian extraction I tend to soak ALL dried peas and beans, the smaller ones just not as long.

I sometimes buy the soup mixes that have rice and barley as well as split peas and many different beans, and I soak the mixes overnight.

 

[SierraCook]

The recipe that I use does not soak them. The only difference it should make is the cooking time. If you don't soak them the soup may take a little longer to cook.

Here is a website with some information on cooking with dried peas.

http://www.bestcookingpulses.com/recipeTips.html

 

[kitchenelf]

Moved to the soup forum

 

[GB]

I would not soak them. I find they soak just fine in the soup and suck up all that great flavor.

 

[Alix]

kurlylox, don't soak them. Just make sure you have lots of the stock in the pot when you put them in. If you want your soup to be nice and thick then you need your peas to be dry when they go in. I was very disappointed in my soup the one time I soaked them first.

 

[Michael in FtW]

I agree ... split peas I never pre-soak - and always start with cold liquid (water or stock - depends on the recipe).

 

[kurlylox]

Ok thanks for the advice, I put them in the crockpot to cook without soaking them.
Sure am looking forward to eating them

 

[jpmcgrew]

I live at a high altitude so soaking regular beans is a must, however you do not need to soak split peas or lentils.

 

[purrfectlydevine]

I beleive that you don't need to soak split peas or lentils before cooking.

 

[Andy M.]

I regularly make split pea soup with dried split peas. I nvere soak.

As mentioned before, let the flavor of the broth and ham bone flavor the peas.

 

[htc]

On a side note to split pea soup, since everyone answered the soaking question...try adding a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter to the soup. It gives the soup a great creamy taste.

 

[kurlylox]

On a side note to split pea soup, since everyone answered the soaking question...try adding a tablespoon of creamy peanut butter to the soup. It gives the soup a great creamy taste.

Wow that sounds really good, I think I'll go find my peanut butter

 

[htc]

Does split pea soup freeze well? Thanks!

 

[jennyema]

Dry BEANS are easier to cook (IMO) when soaked, but more importantly, soaking helps remove the enzymes that make you FART!


But lentils and peas are better left unsoaked, so they can better absorb the flavor in the soup.

I have found that it freezes well.

 

[pdswife]

I freeze mine all the time with no problems.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

You may want to bind your soup by making a bit of roux, using the broth to turn it into a thin paste, and then stirring it into the soup. This will hold the vegetable solids in suspension and keep them from settling to the pan bottom.

If you use enough split peas, you don't have to bind the soup. But it's a good technique to learn. Besides, who can argue with "The Joy of Cooking"? That's where I learned the technique so many years past.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[purrfectlydevine]

You can freeze it as long as your recipe does not include potatoes (my grandmother put potatoes in hers) because potatoes don't freeze well IMHO. I think they become watery and the texture becomes grainy.

 

[jpinmaryland]

that's a good pt., devine. A lot of people will use potatoes in certain soups just to get that creaminess and/or a suspension.

 

[cantcook]

I freeze mine all the time, even with the potatoes. Also, I don't soak my peas first either and my soup is FULLY cooked in two hours, from start to finish.