Split pea soup is a rich and hearty comfort food. Adding vegetables and a protein source and topping with crunchy croutons makes a complete and healthy one-pot meal. Split peas are a good source of fiber and provide essential vitamins and minerals. You may be most familiar with thick, pureed split pea soup but cooking soup with vegetables and serving as-is offers more texture.
Ingredients
Split peas are made from field peas that are dried and split along a seam that occurs naturally in the peas. Green and yellow split peas are the varieties you will find in grocery stores and they are equally good in soup. You can cook split peas in water to make soup but broth or stock will give more flavor. Use vegetable stock for vegetarian versions or chicken broth if you plan to add meat to the soup. Lean diced ham is a traditional ingredient in split pea soup, as are onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
Preparation
Saute any vegetables you plan to use in a little olive oil directly in your soup pot. When they are soft, add the split peas, seasonings and liquid. Bring the soup to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about an hour until the peas are tender. Use six cups of liquid for two cups of split peas as a general rule. More liquid will create a lighter soup and will make room for more vegetables. You can puree the soup in batches when it is done cooking for a smooth soup or leave as-is for more texture.
Health Benefits
A serving of 1 cup of plain, cooked split peas without salt contains 118 calories, 8 g of fat and just 2 mg of sodium. The peas contain no cholesterol and are fat-free. Split peas are high in soluble fiber, with 8 g per serving. Soluble fiber lowers cholesterol levels and may reduce your risk of developing heart disease. One cup of plain croutons contains 5 g of fiber. The fiber in croutons is mostly insoluble, which aids in digestion and helps keep your bowels healthy.
Tips
Some split pea soup recipes call for cream but mixing in plain, fat-free yogurt when the soup is done cooking is a healthier option that still adds richness to the soup. If you want a nonvegetarian soup, add shreds of lean, cooked ham to each bowl before you serve to keep control of portion size and fat content. Croutons are readily available in grocery stores but it's easy to make your own. Use whole grain bread to boost your fiber intake and bake cubes of day-old bread drizzled with olive oil in the oven. Use fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, basil, sage and marjoram, in place of salt for a very low-sodium soup.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Recipe: Split Pea Soup; April 2011
- Taste of Home; Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe; February/March 2004
- Food Network; Homemade Croutons; The Neelys
- RecipeTips.com: Nutrition Information for Peas, Split, Mature Seeds, Cooked, Boiled, Without Salt
- RecipeTips.com: Nutrition Information for Croutons, Plain
- Medline Plus: Fiber
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