Recipes
Split Pea Soup with Smoked Meat
2025-11-17
Split pea soup with smoked meat is a warming, no-frills dish with roots in simple, budget-conscious home cooking. Smoked ribs or bacon give the broth a deep, smoky backbone, while split peas slowly break down into a thick, almost creamy base — no thickeners required.
The real secret to a good split pea soup is time. The peas soften gradually, releasing starch into the broth, and the soup visibly thickens in the last 15-20 minutes of cooking. If it still looks thinner than you’d like, mash some of the peas right in the pot — that thickens things up without extra effort and keeps a rustic, homemade texture.
Feel free to swap in whatever smoked meat you have on hand — ribs, bacon, or even smoked sausage added toward the end of cooking all work well. For a lighter version, cut back on the meat and add a pinch of smoked paprika to keep that smoky note.
Like most soups, this one only improves with a rest — the flavors deepen overnight and the texture gets even thicker the next day. Serve it with dark rye bread or wheat croutons and a spoonful of sour cream.
Ingredients
- 400 g dried split peas
- 400 g smoked pork ribs or smoked bacon
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large onion
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.5 liters water or light stock
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- fresh herbs, for serving
Instructions
- Rinse the split peas in cold water and, if time allows, soak them for 2-3 hours or overnight — this helps them break down faster and more evenly.
- Cover the smoked ribs with water or stock, bring to a boil, skim off any foam, and simmer over low heat for 30-40 minutes until the meat is tender.
- Remove the ribs, pull the meat off the bone, chop it, and return it to the pot; discard the bones.
- Add the rinsed peas and bay leaf, then simmer over low heat for 40-50 minutes, stirring occasionally so the peas don’t stick to the bottom.
- While the peas cook, finely chop the onion and carrot and sauté in vegetable oil until soft and golden.
- Dice the potatoes and add them once the peas are nearly soft, then simmer for another 15 minutes.
- Stir in the sautéed vegetables, season with salt and pepper, and mash part of the soup lightly with a potato masher if you want a thicker, creamier texture.
- Let the soup rest, covered, for 10 minutes, then serve topped with fresh herbs.
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