Crockpot variation: Put all ingredients into crockpot (no need to cook onions first, and oil can be omitted). Add 2 additional cups of water/broth and cook on high 2 1/2 hours (can be kept warm on low setting after that, with occasional stirring).
More flavor: Use vegetable broth instead of water. Double all spices except for salt.
This is a great recipe. That being said, I'll mention a few things I did differntly.
First of all, I soaked the peas in water for about 8 hours prior to cooking. I omitted the barley, and I substituted olive oil for vegetable oil. I sauteed the onion, celery and (3) bay leaves together. I also omitted the potatoes, and put all of the herbs in the pot with the peas and 8 c. water, rather than waiting until the peas had cooked 2 hours. The only ingredient I added after cooking for 2 hours was the carrots. After adding them and another cup of water, I let the soup simmer about 1 more hour.
It's really a delicious, hearty soup. I didn't find it to be too thick, possibly because I soaked the peas first.
When she says it makes a thick soup, she isn't kidding! I love thick soup but this was ridiculously thick, too thick to be soup. All 7 1/2 cups of the water was used up and the solid then started to burn the bottom of the pan. I added 4 more cups of water, which turned out to be PERFECT, so I'd definitely recommend using a total of 11 1/2 cups water for anyone making this soup! The taste was delicious, and I blended abotu half the soup for a better consistency, but either way it tastes fine, just depends on your preference. I only used one potato cause that's all I had around the house but it was still good. Definitely one of the best soup recipes I've tasted! Thanks!!
Love it. I just put all of the ingredients in the crock pot without pre-cooking anything. I do use more water than it calls for, though.
This was without a doubt the best pea soup I have ever made and loaded with nutrition. One problem - my carrots were not done and the soup was so thick that it was in jeopardy of burning. Next time I may add them earlier or steam them separately. And please don't leave out the barley!! You would not want to miss that good nutrition. I also had to add at least 4 cups extra of liquid. I used part broth and part water. If you like pea soup do try this good recipe.
I LOVE this recipe! I make a double batch of this soup for my friends when they have new babies some of my friends can't wait to give birth so they can get some more from me! Here are a few of my alterations-I ommit the celery use a few cups of chicken broth in place of a bit of water and add the spices after the first boil so the flavor can grow and infuse as it cooks. Also I start the soup first thing in the morning so that it simmers for 8-10 hours before supper. It really is a great recipe and it freezes well for a couple of months. Thanks Deborah for sharing this great recipe!
Mmmmmm...use this recipe!!! This was my first time making split pea soup and I am glad I chose this recipe. I followed the advice of some other reviewers and added a lot of extra water (about 3-5 more cups) and this soup still came out nice and thick. Also although this soup has a wonderful flavor when made as instructed I am not a big fan of parsley so next time I will not use as much. I think I will also skip the potato next time so the split pea flavor is not compromised. All in all this is a GREAT recipe...just tweek it a bit here and there to make it yours. I recommend serving split pea soup with croutons and a few (or many) splashes of red wine vinegar.
Although this is not as flavorful as pea soup made with a ham bone, it is a tasty recipe. Since so many reviewers recommended adding more water, I used 12 cups of water and doubled the spices. This worked out well. However, next time I will not add the barley. That is what thickens this soup. If you make it without the barley, it will not be so thick. If you do find it needs to be thickened when it is done, you can always add some instant mashed potatoes flakes. That will thicken it up nicely.
Good split pea soup recipe. I added some veggie boullion (spelling?). Very filling sticks to your bones! Good to make in the fall/winter. I made mine in the slow cooker so while I was at work it cooked. I added a little water to it when I got home and it was smooth and yummy! I ended up freezing some since it makes a LOT. A
Good! I did not have the same problem other people had where a lot more liquid was needed, but then I did not add the barley or potatoes. I also used homemade chicken broth instead of just water. It did have to cook longer than 3 hours though, so I think the next time (there will be!) I will just use the slow cooker. Lesson learned: a one pound bag of split peas = a tad bit over 2 cups...now that I know, there is no need to measure next time.
