Eat Healthy and Cheap
Split Pea Soup
Ham hocks give traditional split pea soup its smoke, its fat, and most of its salt. Toasting smoked paprika directly in the dry pot for thirty seconds before the liquid goes in blooms the same fat-soluble compounds a smoked bone would slowly release, so the smoke carries through every spoonful instead of sitting on top. Green split peas need no cream and no roux: given enough time over low heat, they break down into their own thick, matte-green body. A last splash of vinegar keeps that richness from tasting flat, doing the work salt would otherwise have to do.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Green split peas, rinsed and picked over for stones
- 1 medium Yellow onions, diced
- 2 mediums Carrots, diced
- 2 stalks Celery, diced
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp Smoked paprika
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 2 tsp no-salt vegetable bouillon
- 1/4 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp Flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish
Method
- Put the onion, carrots, and celery in a large dry pot over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften and start to catch on the bottom, about 6 minutes. Splash in a tablespoon or two of water whenever the pot looks dry: that is the sweat, no oil needed.
- Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and toast for 30 seconds, until the paprika smells warm and toasty instead of raw. Paprika's smoke compounds are fat-soluble, and thirty seconds in a hot, dry pot blooms them the way hours next to a ham hock used to. Skip this step and the smoke stays faint.
- Add the rinsed split peas, bay leaves, dried thyme, and no-salt bouillon, then pour in 7 cups (1.7 L) water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any pale foam that rises in the first few minutes, then lower the heat to a steady simmer.
- Cook uncovered, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until the peas break down completely into a thick, matte-green soup that coats the back of a spoon, 45 to 55 minutes. Add a splash more water if it thickens faster than the peas are cooking.
- Fish out the bay leaves. Off the heat, stir in the black pepper and the vinegar. The vinegar's acidity is what lifts the soup out of flat and starchy, doing the job a pinch of salt would otherwise do.
- Ladle into bowls and scatter parsley over the top just before serving.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 210 calories, 13 g protein, 12 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.
