Split Pea Soup Recipe

Put away grandma’s recipe because this homemade split pea soup loaded up with pork confit is hands down the best around.

Nothing more comforting than a classic soup like this one.  It’s incredibly delicious and perfect for those cold winter days.  This is a can’t miss recipe that your whole family will absolutely love.

WHY IS IT CALLED SPLIT PEA SOUP?

Split peas are a type of field pea and are grown specifically for drying.  They are cultivated, dried and then split.  Through the drying process, they are preserved which allows them to sit at room temperature.

DO SPLIT PEAS NEED TO BE SOAKED BEFORE COOKING?

To shorten cooking times, you may soak the split peas overnight by submerging them 4” under cold water in a container.  However, they will cook in under 2 hours when simmered in a soup and give off even more flavor when doing so.

INSTEAD OF HAM TRY MAKING PORK CONFIT

Ham, or even cooking with a ham hock would definitely be the classic way to make this soup.  With that being said I want to teach you how to confit, which is an incredibly easy process of slow cooking protein in fat making it crispy, tender and incredibly juicy.

1. Add onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf to a medium size pot.
2. Slice the pork tenderloins in half and season them well on all sides with salt and pepper.

3. Pour olive oil into the pot making sure the pork is submerged.
4. Cook for 4 hours in the oven at 300°.

5. Sear the pork on all sides in a pan over medium heat until golden brown on all sides.
6. Shred the pork using 2 forks.
7. I only put 1/2 of the amount of pork into the soup and ate the other half because it’s so good by itself.

CHEF NOTE: Drain the oil from the pork confit, and then keep the seasoned rendered fat for up to 1 month in the refrigerator to then confit other foods such as beef, lamb or chicken.

HOW TO MAKE IT

• Sweat the carrots, onion, garlic and celery in a small amount of butter over medium heat in a large size pot.
• Deglaze with white wine and cook until the liquid has been absorbed.

• Add in the fresh peas, split peas and chicken stock and simmer over low heat for 90 minutes.
• With 20 minutes left in the cooking process, add in the potatoes.

• Finish with salt and pepper and add in shredded pork confit and serve.

IS IT HEALTHY?

It is high in fiber and magnesium and packed with vegetables.  The best way to keep it healthy is to sub out butter with a healthy oil such as avocado oil and using lean pork or ham that is not cured in salt or cooked in oil.

MORE AMAZING SOUP RECIPES

• Ribollita Soup Recipe with Chicken and Kale
• Classic French Onion Soup
• New England Clam Chowder
• Zuppa Toscana Recipe
• Chicken Meatball Noodle Soup

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5 from 4 votes

Split Pea Soup Recipe

Put away grandma’s recipe because this homemade split pea soup loaded up with pork confit is hands down the best around.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time4 hrs

Total Time5 hrs 40 mins

Course: dinner, Main, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Calories: 434kcal

Author: Chef Billy Parisi

Ingredients

For the Pork Confit:

• 1 large chopped yellow onion
• 10 galric cloves
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pounds pork tenderloin
• 4 cups olive oil
• sea salt and pepper to taste

For the Soup:

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 peeled small diced yellow onion
• 4 peeled and medium diced carrots
• 4 stalks medium diced celery
• 4 finely minced cloves of garlic
• 3/4 cup chardonnay wine
• 2 cups peas
• 2 cups split peas
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 2 medium diced russet potatoes
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• optional crème fraiche for garnish

Instructions

• Pork: Preheat the oven to 300°.
• Add the onions, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf to a medium size sauce pot.
• Next, each pork tenderloin in half and season well on all sides with salt and pepper and add it to the pot with the vegetables and herbs.
• Add in oil and make sure the pork is submerged.
• Cook in the oven for 4 hours.
• Remove from the oven and add each pork tenderloin to a large frying pan over medium high heat until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side.
• Shred the pork using 2 forks. Note: Strain the confit fat and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month for other confit recipes.
• Soup: With about 2 hours left in the cooking process of the pork confit add the butter to a large pot over medium heat along with the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and sweat for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are slightly render.
• Add in the peas, split peas and chicken stock and simmer over low heat for about 90 minutes or until the peas have broken down and the soup is thick.
• With about 20 minutes left in the cooking process add the potatoes to the soup and cook until tender.
• Finish by seasoning with salt and pepper and adding in the shredded pork. Note: I only used half of the amount of shredded pork confit but you can absolutely use it all. It is so delicious to eat by itself or serve as it's own meal.
• Pour some into a bowl and add on optional crème fraiche garnish and serve.

Notes

CHEF NOTES:

• I only used half of the pork in the soup but you can absolutely use all of it in there. 

 

• How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of soup to a small size pot and heat over low heat until the soup is hot. In addition, you can heat in a microwave safe bowl until hot.

 

• How to Store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

 

• How to Freeze: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Thaw for 1 day in the refrigerator before reheating.

 

• Make Ahead: Make this soup and chill it up to 2 days before serving it. Reheat and adjust seasonings before serving.

 

• If you want the soup to be runnier you can blend it in a blender until it is smooth. Do this before adding in the pork.

 

• The confit fat when done being used is seasoned and delicious. Be sure to drain it of the vegetables and herbs and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 month before using again to confit other meats such as beef or chicken.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 334mg | Potassium: 1179mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2780IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 4mg