Deep in winter in the north, we need soup. Lots of soup. And if we can recreate a memory in the process, even better!
It’s been bitter cold here the last few weeks, but today, the temperature is predicted to hit 32 F., and that means maybe a little of the ice on the patio will finally melt, and the dogs will get a walkie. But it is still snowing, so I’m a bit skeptical.
Time for the soup pot
Soup time again, hot bowls of nutrition is what we’re craving, and pea soup satisfies us both. It’s also really filling, full of fiber and protein, and best of all, tastes like my childhood. My mother loved her pea soup, and so did dad, so we had it a lot in the winter. Of course, her version began with salt pork or bacon cut into little lardons, or, if there had been a ham, the leftover hambone.
Pressure cooker to the rescue
She always cooked her beans and her split pea soup in the pressure cooker, and so do I. Of course, her cooker was the old fashioned, scary version with the little whatchamacallit on the top that spit and whistled and spun around spewing steam and aroma all the while as we watched and waited for it to explode all over the ceiling. It never did. Boy, the house smelled so good while that soup was cooking and that machine whistling!
Let’s lighten this up
To lighten the soup in the New Year, I omitted the meat of all kinds. Actually haven’t put meat in my pea soup for decades! But since both the salt pork and ham bone mom used were quite salty, I add more salt to mine than I do for other soups or it doesn’t taste right. I think it was all about the salt because there really wasn’t much actual meat in her soup. For that little something extra, smoked paprika once again to the rescue. You’ll never miss the bacon.
It’s the consistency
Pea soup on its own can be rather stodgy. As much as I love it, it’s kind of thick and gloppy, no texture to speak of, and can be a bit boring to eat, no matter how delicious, like any creamed soup. So we need to offer up a bit of interest. Mushrooms! Yeah, I know, they are soft too, but a different texture, and the flavor doesn’t overpower the peas. I used both dried and fresh mushrooms here because I love both and while one adds a nice texture, the dried gives a flavor boost.
Color and texture
Carrots added those little specks of color and just a touch of sweetness to the dish. But the frozen peas are what really makes this soup delicious. They offer not only color, but a delightful pop of freshness and texture. So good.
Pick them over to remove any stones or odd beans.
It starts with the split peas
Split peas cook quickly and like yellow lentils pretty much turn to a thick mush. They are full of Vitamin A, protein, and fiber, a great nutrition boost this time of year. A generous two-cup serving of this soup is only 210 calories, 32 carbs, but has 10 grams of fiber, 10 grams of protein, three times the days Vitamin A, and is a good source of potassium, Vitamin C and calcium. An added bonus? They are really inexpensive! Three-quarters of a pound of organic dried split peas ($2.49) makes a soup that serves from five to 10, and with the fresh mushrooms and other veggies, you still have a really economical dish.
It’s still pea soup
Even with all the additions, you still know you are eating pea soup, and the aromas in the house testify to that.
Enter the Instant Pot
My pressure cooker is the Instant Pot multicooker and I love it. I also use it just about every week to cook my dried beans and make soups. So easy, and not scary in the least! Of course there is the tiniest part of me that misses the drama of wondering if the pressure cooker will explode, and feeling triumphant that it didn’t because I’ve mastered the machine.
The next day
Time to warm up the soup for lunch; I’ll probably have to add a bit of water today because it does get thicker as it sets. Then, maybe I’ll take the dogs for a walk if it ever stops snowing.
Split Pea and Mushroom Soup
Makes 10 cups
- ½ to 1 oz. (15-30 g.) dried mushrooms (or a handful)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 8 oz. (227 g.) sliced mushrooms
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 bay leaves
- Spring of fresh rosemary, or ½ tsp. dried
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups split peas 12 oz. (340 g.)
- 7 cups water
- 1 cup thawed frozen peas
Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms and let steep while prepping the vegetables.
With the pressure cooker setting on sauté, add the olive oil, onion, mushrooms, and carrot. Sauté until soft. Chop up the rehydrated mushrooms and add to the pot along with the soaking liquid and everything else save the fresh peas and seal. Set the pressure setting for 30 minutes, and when done, let naturally settle down.
If cooking stovetop in a stock pot, it should take around an hour. The longer the soup cooks, the thicker it will get, and both methods will thicken overnight in the refrigerator. You can also cook this in the slow cooker for 10 hours on the low setting, so toss everything in in the morning, and dinner is ready when you are.
Once the soup is ready, add the peas, garnish and serve. Great with crusty homemade croutons, some fried shallot rings, or minced chives if you can find them right now. I just used the croutons, and we had a salad on the side. Perfect.
Other additions:
You can add a large russet potato or two for an even creamier soup, the addition of more potassium, and fiber of course.
Chopped turnips are tasty in this dish.
Substitute parsnips for the carrots.
Greens of any type from spinach to arugula can be tossed in with the peas at the end. So delicious!
“Soup puts the heart at ease, calms down the violence of hunger, eliminates the tension of the day, and awakens and refines the appetite.”
~ Auguste Escoffier
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I like mushroom soup and have it often. A pea soup is second one I love. Two together even better, Dorothy!
Joanna
A match made in vegan heaven!
You are so right, Dorothy! Although I am a vegetarian, not vegan!
Joanna
🩷
This looks great – it is indeed soup season for me as well! I will be sharing one that my wife Alex says is the best she’s had, and tonight I am making Italian Wedding soup…there’s an early line from Woody Allen where he says he made something in a pressure cooker…”how did it taste?’ he was asked to which he replied “I don’t know. It’s still on the ceiling.” THAT’S what I think of that “whatchamacallit” on top of the cooker, ready to blow off at any time!
I know! It’s living on the edge of danger!
This is my kind of wonderful!
I love pea soup. And I will make your recipe.
We just finished Ham and Bean soup so your pea soup is next!
By the way, when I was young My Mom’s old fashioned pressure cooker exploded. There were green beans everywhere. I swear I still see a mark on the kitchen ceiling from it!
Ah, so you actually experienced the nightmare! And now you have a story!
😀
There’s usually a pot of soup in the fridge. Right now, it’s a turkey/rice soup. My husband once scolded me for not checking on him when he was in the field. “What If I’m lying underneath an overturned tractor?” (Dramatic) To which I replied, “Do you think of checking on me? What if the lid blew off the pressure cooker & I’m pinned to the ceiling?!
Still laughing at this one!!!! An epic comeback!
This is soup week for us as well. It’s nothing like my mother made but it does warm the heart and body this time of year.
Enjoy the soup, I can almost taste it!
Thanks Jan! It was delicious, both last night and for lunch!
I love Pea and Ham soup but not after it’s been in the Freezer and reheated. Not so nice second time round for me. Never experienced a Pressure Cooker but have heard many funny stories. Soup season is still a few months away but it will soon be here with days shortening slightly. I miss the snowy days of a Northern Hemisphere winter!
Mary:))
I don’t mind it in the freezer, and it pleases my husband so I tuck some away when I make it. Love using the pressure cooker, but it’s also nice to have a soup simmer away on the back burner when it’s snowy outside.
This bowl of green goodness it the perfect cure for any winter blues!
Thanks Mary! It sure was, and I still have enough for us for another lunch, not tomorrow though, day after!
Hey is this the best place to ask a question?
That depends on the question!
There’s nothing better than a steaming, hot bowl of delicious soup on a cold Winter’s day! Perfect!
Thank you so much Braden! You are absolutely right. Warms the heart and soul as well as the body!
Oh yes, memories flooding back! The old pressure cooker (and I had one too) was very scary, both in my mother’s home and mine. But, the meals it prepared and the aromas that flooded the home were delightful. This soup recipe is a keeper! And your gorgeous ‘wuppie’ lying in front of that beautiful open fire is another treat for the eyes…
Riley us there every night in front the fire, he’s there right now as I write! His brother has thicker fur and never goes near!
Hey is this the best place to ask a question?
Reading this the supposedly ‘modern me’ feels awfully old-fashioned 🙂 ! I love stove-top cooking especially for dishes like this I have eaten for well, well, well over half a century 🙂 ! Don’t mind adding carrots or the occasional potato but personally leave my beloved mushrooms of all kinds to their own . . . but loved your recipe telling the story a slightly different way . . . and do love that pup’s comfortable look just the ‘right’ distance from the fire . . .
Modern me dies live to fiddle with things! But I love to keep the essence, so the memories remain!
Riley is by the fire every night. Bailey doesn’t like it at all!
My mom always made split pea soup and like your mom she used a lot of bacon and pork! I grew to love that soup but never make it myself. So this gives me some inspiration to purchase some peas and give the mushroom and carrot version a try. Thank you. I’m inspired. Hugs, C
It still tastes like home , even with the additions!
Can I have a bowl please? It looks so inviting and comforting! I love everything with peas 😋
It’s waiting for you my friend, I just need to add a bit more water!
I’ve also made my fair share of soups so far this winter, and I thank you for the smile of the old pressure cooker photo. Both my Mom and Grandmother had one, and I always wondered if that thing was going to explode at some point. 🙂
Definitely part of our cultural heritage!
Love that quote! Great looking soup. Yes, my mother also had a scary pressure cooker!!!!
Hopefully, one that didn’t explode!
Your soups sounds delicious! Time for me to make pea soup!
It’s the perfect time of year! Thank you so much.
I can’t remember the last time I had a pea soup…must be about that time. this looks so hearty and warm!
Do good! Tastes like home.
The combination of mushrooms and peas is perfect. You are so creative, Dorothy.
Thank you! So often the creativity comes from what I need to use up in the fridge!