Split and bacon soup or Pea Soup.

[BML]

I used to eat what I referred to as, "Pea Soup over 70 years ago and I recently thought that I would have a go at cooking it.
I put a bacon hock in soak overnight and also a packet of split peas in soak.
I then put the bacon hock in water and bought it to the boil, bunged in a couple of onions cut up roughly and a few carrots treated the same way. An hour or so into the exercise I put the split peas in and then started the problem because however long I simmered the mixture the split peas refused to disintegrate or go soft.
After close on eight hours I gave up and liquidised it.
My grandmother and my mother cooked this soup with no trouble so pleas, what have I done wrong?

 

[blissful]

Split peas that won't melt down? Most likely, the split peas were dried too long, or they are aged too dry. You seemed to have handled it well.

Usually you don't need to soak the split peas before putting them in the broth, but considering that they didn't melt down, it probably helped.

The first time I made that kind of soup, I added too many carrots and the soup was a little too sweet. Since then, I only put in a few carrots.

 

[larry_stewart]

I usually make split pea soup when Im cleaning out my veggie bin. I throw whatever I got in there ( carrots, celery ( including the leaves) a few garlic cloves, onions...and of course , the split peas.

Usually after an hour or two the split peas have broken down quite a bit.
That being said, I like a smooth soup, so I always take a hand blender to it towards the end, then let it cook a bit more ( often having to add a little more liquid, cause once you blend it up, the peas want to absorb a little more liquid).

On occasion, Ill toss some barley in it at the end and let it cook until the barley is cooked.
And i love serving it with fried, caramelizsed onions stirred in at the end and croutons.

 

[BML]

Many thanks for your suggestions.

 

[BML]

I forgot. Now I need to look out for some FRESH split peas.

 

[GotGarlic]

I forgot. Now I need to look out for some FRESH split peas.

Those will be difficult to find. Buy them from a place that has a fair amount of turnover (ask the manager) and use them soon after.

 

[BML]

I came across a Health Food specialist that does mail order and wonder if they are suitable.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have no idea. I've always used dried split peas. They're inexpensive, easily available and I have never had a problem with them. I think the risk is pretty low that you'll have a similar problem again.

 

[RPCookin]

I made split pea soup last week with 2 pounds of peas just bought at Walmart. They are in the same isle as the dry beans. My recipe is from the Hungry Dutchman, a now defunct restaurant that used to be in SW Denver, from the recipe book that they used to sell in the foyer. My mother made this often back in the 70's and 80's whenever she had a bone left from a baked ham. I bought a ham just so that I'd have a good meaty bone for this soup.

This is a good, hearty winter soup, and the recipe makes enough to eat today and plenty to freeze for some future tomorrow - the 2 of us have had 3 meals from it and still have enough in the freezer for at least 2 more. That's pretty cheap eating, especially when you figure in the multiple meals we got from the ham, baked ham dinner, ham sandwiches and strips cut for chef's salad, plus a bag still in the freezer.

My recipe is as follows, with directions rewritten for plagiarism avoidance.

Dutchman Split Pea Soup

3/4 cup butter, divided
4 carrots, chopped
4 stalks celery, cleaned, stripped and chopped
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
2 lb dry, split peas
1 meaty ham hock (preferably from a previously served ham--better than a purchased hock - the one I used this time was from a 10 pound bone-in ham)
4 slices bacon, cooked, drained and broken up
1/2 cup flour
5-6 qts. water (Reality is the size of your stock pot - mine is 16 quarts) (I also added a quart of chicken stock just cuz I felt like it).
3 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Melt 1/4 C (1/2 stick) butter in a large stock pot. Add the chopped celery, carrots and onion and cook until the onion is transparent.

Mix in the cooked bacon, water, peas, and place the ham hock in the pot.

Add salt and pepper

Bring to a boil, then cook, covered, approximately 2 hours on med-low heat until the peas are thoroughly cooked, approaching mushy.

Remove the ham hock, let it cool, then remove and shred the meat.

I used a stick blender to blend the veggies into the soup, then returned the shredded ham that I stripped from the bone back to the pot.

In a small saucepan make a white roux by melting 1/2 C butter then mixing in 1/2 C flour and cook about 2 minutes, until the flour is cooked.

Ladle several scoops of of the cooked soup to the white sauce base, then whisk thoroughly. Return to the soup pot and stir until well blended. Boil for a minute to thicken and you're done.

 

[BML]

Pity, but travelling from the village of Steventon in Oxfordshire England for lunch would take to long but the recipe looks good.

 

[Cheryl J]

Hi, BML.

I LOVE split pea soup as well, and make it often. In fact, I'm going to make a small batch tomorrow. You've gotten some good advice here.

I did a quickie search and found this thread that you started from last year, and thought it might be of help to you to bring it back up.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forum...acon-and-spit-pea-soup-95181.html#post1457763

 

[Cheryl J]

I have no idea. I've always used dried split peas. They're inexpensive, easily available and I have never had a problem with them. I think the risk is pretty low that you'll have a similar problem again.

+1....