Yummy Split Pea Soup

This split pea soup is the meatless version that doesn’t miss the ham. The trick is the half-blend at the end: pulling about a third of the cooked soup through a blender and stirring it back in gives you the silky, creamy body of a pureed soup with the texture of identifiable vegetables and tender split peas in every spoonful.

A long, low simmer (3 to 4 hours, never a rolling boil) is what gets the peas properly soft and silky. Rushing the cook leaves chalky peas with no body to the broth.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t soak the peas overnight. Split peas don’t need it, and pre-soaked peas blow apart and turn pasty during the long simmer.
• The 2-minute pre-boil cleans the peas and starts the softening. Skip it and you can taste a faint dustiness in the finished soup.
• Keep the heat truly low. A rolling boil makes the peas explode and turn the soup gluey; a slow simmer gives velvety texture.
• Stir occasionally during the simmer. The peas settle and scorch on the bottom if left completely alone.
• Salt at the end. Early salt toughens the bean skins and slows them from softening.

Variations

• Add a smoked turkey wing or ham hock at the start for a smoky, traditional version.
• Stir in a teaspoon of curry powder or smoked paprika at the end for a deeper, warmer profile.
• Top each bowl with crispy croutons, a swirl of olive oil, or crumbled bacon for crunch and contrast.