Pea Soup For The Soul (Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

What does pea soup do for your body? ›

Peas contain heart-friendly minerals including magnesium, potassium and calcium and are also rich in antioxidant nutrients, like vitamin C, as well as phytonutrients including carotenoids and flavanols which are heart protective and support cardiovascular function.

Ham, bacon, and sausage all go exceptionally well with peas. One of the most traditional ways of making split pea soup is to flavor it with ham bones. Most recipes include onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes. In the herb department, bay leaves, thyme, mint, marjoram, rosemary, and parsley are all delicious additions.

The common denominator will probably be meat (ham bones are common), more salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use bouillon cubes or paste to provide both meaty flavor and salt, though pork is a lot harder to find than chicken or beef. Salt and pepper you can just stir in.

Split pea soup

Peas are starchy veggies, which means you'll be getting a hefty amount of carbs (26 grams per cup) along with other nutrients like fiber.

Beans are in the legume family which includes dried lentils and split peas. Recent research shows the benefits of plant-based foods in the kidney diet. Beans are great for people with kidney disease to enjoy.

All beans and peas can help lower blood pressure due to their high content of fiber, potassium, and magnesium. Canned versions provide the same benefit as fresh, as long as they do not contain added sugar, fat or salt.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup. The potato should make your split pea soup perfectly thick and creamy. However, if the soup is still too thin for your liking, you can thicken it up with full-fat cream (though it may alter the flavor a bit) or a cornstarch slurry.

Split peas are the mature form of green peas: the dried seeds of peas are peeled and then split, increasing the surface area of the pea. As a result, split peas don't need to be soaked and cook more quickly than whole peas.

Whether you soak or not, split peas should be rinsed, simply to remove dust or dirt. You can also soak them in water to pick them over for stones, but the chances of finding one are slim.

Peas, and other legumes, such as chickpeas, beans and lentils, are rich in a group of sugars that are called the raffinose family of oligosaccharides, or RFOs for short. These sugars are not broken down during digestion and therefore reach the colon mostly intact.

Why are my peas still hard in my pea soup? ›

Why Are My Split Peas Not Softening? In this soup, the peas should be soft after about 1 to 1 1/2 hours cooking time. If you take a taste after this time and they haven't softened, your peas are likely stale. Buy a fresh batch before making the soup again.

To make it thinner, reduce the amount of split peas or add more water. Depending on the density of split peas, it may take a while for the vegetables and peas to soften, but you can't really overcook this soup; just stir occasionally and add water if it gets too dry.

Split peas offer significant levels of protein, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. A diet rich in split peas and other legumes may help reduce cholesterol, hypertension, and the risk of prediabetes, and may also offer significant anti-inflammatory effects.

Split pea soup is a classic comfort food with tasty, diabetic-friendly benefits. This heart-warming soup is rich in fiber and potassium with a thick and creamy texture sure to please. Leave out the potatoes and add plenty of chopped fresh celery, carrots, and onions for a belly-satisfying meal.

Split pea soup without meat, homemade (1 cup) contains 34.8g total carbs, 22.9g net carbs, 1.7g fat, 8.7g protein, and 183 calories.

Split peas can help ease constipation in several ways. For one, they're teeming with fiber, a must-have nutrient for constipation relief. They're especially rich in soluble fiber, which draws a lot of water into your gastrointestinal tract, helping to make your stool a normal consistency so pooping is more comfortable.

Peas are a good source of vitamins C and E, zinc, and other antioxidants that strengthen your immune system. Other nutrients, such as vitamins A and B and coumestrol, help reduce inflammation and lower your risk of chronic conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.

Split pea soup is an amazing source of fiber (about 20 grams per 1 1/2 cup of soup when the daily recommended intake is about 25-30 grams daily). Split peas are also not a bad source of vegetarian protein, about 8 grams per 1/2 cup. You also got the added benefits of potassium and folate.

Help with Weight Control

Obesity increases your risk for chronic diseases, such as arthritis and heart disease. You may be able to use pea soup to lose weight or prevent unwanted weight gain. A half-cup of canned, condensed split pea soup, which makes one cup after you dilute it, has about 180 calories.