This is one of my treasured recipes, it is wonderful on cold days. This recipe originates from somewhere in North Africa.
I found this recipe 2 weeks ago and have made it 5 times since then, it's so incredibly good and so incredibly fast and easy. I sincerely doubt I'll ever again make "traditional" split pea soup. This can be eaten as soup or, if you allow it to really thicken up, it makes a fantastic dip with crunchy tortilla strips, corn chips, toasted pita triangles, cucumber slices, or sweet red bell pepper strips. I've also used it as a filling for pita along with chopped cucumbers and a drizzle of yogurt mixed with chopped mint. Scrumptious! Note: Because I didn't have any dried whole chilies, I substituted 1 T. of commercial chili powder. I've also used 1 T. of dried parsley in place of fresh, and that works okay, too, although fresh is best. Thank you for posting this recipe!
Read MoreI was so disappointed! Bland bland bland. The cumin does give a little smokey flavor, but not enough....I wished there were some meat in it to give a deeper flavor. I added a tiny bit of liquid smoke, and some lemon juice to kind of brighten it. I think it needs more vegetables- like onion, carrot and celery, cooked with the garlic. Also, leaving the dried red chili whole added no heat whatsoever. Lastly, I wished I had used vegetable or chicken broth instead of plain water. I had such high hopes for this recipe, but none of us liked it. Sorry.
Read MoreI found this recipe 2 weeks ago and have made it 5 times since then, it's so incredibly good and so incredibly fast and easy. I sincerely doubt I'll ever again make "traditional" split pea soup. This can be eaten as soup or, if you allow it to really thicken up, it makes a fantastic dip with crunchy tortilla strips, corn chips, toasted pita triangles, cucumber slices, or sweet red bell pepper strips. I've also used it as a filling for pita along with chopped cucumbers and a drizzle of yogurt mixed with chopped mint. Scrumptious! Note: Because I didn't have any dried whole chilies, I substituted 1 T. of commercial chili powder. I've also used 1 T. of dried parsley in place of fresh, and that works okay, too, although fresh is best. Thank you for posting this recipe!
as written, this would be too bland for my taste and I cannot see the sense in adding that much oil. With changes, this soup is delicious and so quick and easy. quickly sauteed 5 large cloves of garlic in a bit of EVOO, upped the cumin to 2 heaping measuring tsp., omitted the whole chili and added Tunisian ground chili powder, and used chicken broth instead of water. Used 3 cans chicken broth and 16 oz pkg of peas. It was thick but not overly so. I had an extra can of chicken broth that I added the next day, as it was thicker then. thanks for the easy recipe that is nice to use for a Ramadan dinner shorba.
This is so good, and very versitile,as alot of other reveiwers mentioned if you let this thicken to a pasted it's a great spread, really tastes good on toasted pitas with some feta. But as a soup it's equally amazing. The only reason i'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is because instead of water chicken broth is really essentail, it emboldens the flavors, and gives it a finished taste. Other than that this soup is perfect as is!
I was so disappointed! Bland bland bland. The cumin does give a little smokey flavor, but not enough....I wished there were some meat in it to give a deeper flavor. I added a tiny bit of liquid smoke, and some lemon juice to kind of brighten it. I think it needs more vegetables- like onion, carrot and celery, cooked with the garlic. Also, leaving the dried red chili whole added no heat whatsoever. Lastly, I wished I had used vegetable or chicken broth instead of plain water. I had such high hopes for this recipe, but none of us liked it. Sorry.
My boyfriend and I both loved this. I used red chili pepper flakes and added 1/2 tsp of garlic salt,tumeric, and a chili powder. Delicious.
Next time, I will halve the preparation--I have so much leftovers! This is a great tasting, healthy, unique tasting, FILLING treat. Would also be good on toasted bread, and I've also been putting it on baked potatoes. YUM!
We enjoyed this a lot! I doubled the spices and added a sprinkle of turmeric and chili powder. I sauteed a small onion with the garlic and omitted the olive oil. Oh and I used vegetarian "chicken" flavored bouillon. Next time I might add some carrots but other than that it was perfect!
Very thick, porridge like soup! I love the chile pepper in this, next time I might even double the amount of it!
Delicious. The BEST split pea soup I've ever had. I will definately make this again.
This is an Egyptian national dish. I'm from Egypt and this was a staple in my grandma's house where I spent most of my childhood. I have to say it's a bit of an acquired taste to like it. To clear any confusion, this is NOT supposed to be a soup. It's a dip. We NEVER use peas, but always use fava beans. If you can't get hold of that, then edamame beans could work. It's best made with fava beans though and you scoop it up with flat bread. Chile pepper and paprika are not common spices in this. The traditional way of serving this is to serve it room temperature/cold with some fried onions on top. Delish!
Great vegetarian soup that I intend to make again soon. Cheap and easy, with a subtle flavor blend. I served it last night with baked potatoes that had been rubbed in olive oil and sea salt, which made for a healthy, simple, tasty meal. I did make a few changes to the recipe entirely through my own errors - I was cooking too much at the time, and was distracted when I made the Bissara. But it turned out OK, and I liked the finished result so much that I am now determined to concentrate some evening soon and make this just as the recipe states. I subbed a half a cup of lentils for half a cup of the split peas, one T of chili powder for the dried chili, added half an onion, needed longer than one hour of cooking time, and omitted the vegetable oil. I used a hand blender, rather than a wooden spoon, to mash the peas - but I also used a spoon to mash additional peas in individual bowls, and it was much tastier this way. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe - I look forward to making it again.
This soup is wonderful and couldn't be easier to make! The flavor is very rich and the texture is perfect (I used a hand blender, right in the pot to puree). I used red pepper flakes instead of the dried red chili pepper. It did take a little longer to cook... and definitely needed more water during the cooking process. I ended up using low sodium chicken stock and kept adding it, as needed. I will definitely make this again. Thanks, Asma!
I made this in the crockpot, so the peas softened up beautifully and no mashing was required. I reduced the oil in the recipe to about 1/4 c. olive oil. I added a vegetarian bouillon cube. Otherwise, I used the ingredients listed. This was quite good (if a bit on the mild side), and everyone in the family ate theirs at supper. After it sits and thickens up, it really does make a nice spread for bread or crackers, too.
Wow! I really loved this. I did omit the oil though. It did get a little thick the next day so I dipped, more like scooped the soup up on garlic bread. That was really good. I added halved baby carrots for a little color and texture. They were great in there! My kids (2 and 1) loved it as well.
I really wanted to like this, but thought it was average at best. Love everything in it, but I didn't think it went well. Maybe lentils would be better? I love split pea soup with lots of thyme, it's light and perfect for spring. This was very heavy!
I did as others suggested and cooked it with chicken broth. I added more of all the spices at the end, because when I tasted it, it seemed a bit bland. Everyone raved about this, and loved the spicy kick to it. I would definitely make again!
This is great for what it is -- a basic spiced stew. I had a hard time getting my peas to cook completely (maybe old?), so I ended up with more of a lentil soup consistency than a paste-like stew which is what I had wanted. However, the flavors were great, this recipe is delicious, healthy and cheap, and I will try again with better peas!
This was surprisingly easy to make and tasted authentic. I only wish mine was spicier...it will probably taste better the next day after it has thickened and the flavors have settled. I added some ingredients: coriander seeds, fennel seeds, lemon juice, minced ginger, chopped red onion, turmeric, red pepper flakes. I also used yellow lentils and dried parsley and dried chili powder instead of what the recipe called for.
For such a simple recipe, this rocked! I think next time, though, I'll add fresh cilantro in the last few minutes of cooking. Great soup!
This was a great base, but actually a bit bland for my taste. I ended up adding more spices, carrots, and spinach. Next time I will definitely saute some onion with more garlic, black mustard seed, and a tomato, add garam masala, and more than double the spices. Unlike other reviewers, I don't think this recipes NEEDS chicken stock or meat in it (though it would be great with meat, too) to make it taste "finished", as long as the spices are right and it is given ample time to stew and mingle.
I substituted soy milk and vegan margarine to make this meal cruelty-free and it turned out wonderful!
Very good comfort food. The use of an immersion blender makes this recipe a BREEZE!
Tastes like split pea soup with an extra kick! I sauted chopped onions, garlic, and the spices prior to adding the water and peas.
Double the spices and its wonderful
Absolutely wonderful! Easy to make and with only a few affordable ingredients. I enjoyed it as a very creamy soup and also as a sauce on basmati rice. I will definitely make again!
This was great! I love split peas and this was a great way to cook them. I added some curry powder to suite my taste. Thanks!
My husband says 5 but I wasn't so impressed by this soup. The texture was really nice and the flavor as well. We added chopped parsley to the top and squeezed lemon juice over it as well. I felt like it was good for the first 10 bites but then became bland and heavy. Maybe I should have made it more liquidy? Overall, it was a nice soup and I will probably make it again in the future.
I loved this simple and quick soup. I used a ground Indian red pepper because that was all I had. I t was great! I will make this again!
Like most people I used less oil, and spiced it to my taste, but this is a great basic!
Love the toasty garlic flavor in this soup. Very easy to make, too. I would suggest: more salt; if you can't find the dried pepper, 1/4 tsp cayenne works.
I wasn't sure I was going to like it but wow, it was really good. I made the recipe as written, except for adding a couple extra chili peppers. Thanks for sharing.
Love love LOVE this! I add a lot more garlic, chopped, and about 1.5 tablespoons of cumin. I've also made it using fresh jalapenos and it comes out great. If you make it thick instead of soup-like, it goes great with a big dollop of yogurt on top!
I enjoy pea soup, so this was naturally something I had to try. It's got a nice spicy kick to it, and soooo healthy. I didn't use any oil at all, and I added a bouillon cube. The ratio of water to peas was perfect, and I simmered it for 1 hour. Perfect consistency and it thickens when it cools down.
My biggest complaint was the texture. It just seemed way to thick. I was constantly adding water, but it never seemed to be enough. I would possibly consider making it again for myself, but I would NEVER make it for guests.
I really liked this recipe. I omitted the olive oil (why is it in there?), but kept the vegetable oil to fry up the garlic. I also added a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes in addition to the 6 cups of water. That was good, but it was still pretty thick at the end. Next time I think I might try a 28 oz can of chopped tomatoes. I also served this with cooked whole buckwheat.
I'm Egyptian and grew up with Bisara a constant and welcomed staple in our household! I just wanted to clarify Asma's comment that the dish originated "somewhere in North Africa". Bisara is actually an Egyptian dish from Pharaonic times. The word Beesara is derived from Hieroglyphic Bees-oro (bees- which means cooked) and (oro which means beans).www.chefindisguise.com
Following other's suggestions, I doubled the spices. I did not follow the recipe as written. I added diced carrots & ham like I would for "pea soup". After sauteing the onion I put everything in the crock pot on high and let it cook for several hours. When I tasted it, the flavor was great but the peas weren't quite cooked completely. Silly me, I went to bed & forgot about it. When I got up, the aroma was fantastic. And, as another reviewer noted, when cooked down this makes a wonderful dip. lol It wasn't intentional but the result was great. Will make again & try to get soup. lol
This is my favorite pea soup. I make it alot. 5 star rating. I follow the recipe completely.
thick and tasty
Super easy and pretty good! I feel like it needed something, I'm just not sure what. Overall, though: awesome. Thanks for the recipe!
Bissara is a Moroccan recipe. You can substitute peas for dried fav beans, cook them with the peeled garlic (I do it in a pressure cooker for half an hour), blend it until smooth, season it well and add olive oil. Sprinkle more cumin and paprika over the top and enjoy with bread.
The ingredients are perfect for traditional Moroccan bissara, but it has to be blended in the blender in order to make it the perfect consistency. Mashing the peas with a spoon doesn't work very well and it is still chunky.
