This Split Pea Soup recipe has been passed down to me from my grandmother and is hands down my all time favorite soup. Gluten Free too. Only a handful of ingredients required.
I used to visit my maternal grandmother in Moscow, Russia every single summer. I started going there the summer between 6th and 7th grade and it was only after that first visit did I start to appreciate the Russian language and stop fighting with my parents every time they made me speak Russian.
After that first summer I came back a transformed person. I was all of a sudden interested in Russian music, movies, cooking. I wanted to read the news in Russian and talked in Russian willingly and happily with my parents.
All thanks to that summer with my grandmother and my cousins.
We would split the time up between the apartment near central Moscow and the country house 100 miles away.
My grandmother had a full garden at the country house. We’re not talking a basil plant here and there. She had everything.
Potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, salad leaves, squash, herbs, onions, garlic, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apples, gooseberries, currant, – I mean everything.
We split our time between working in the garden and cooking in the kitchen. My gma and I had a real strong connection and bond, which food and cooking only continued to strengthen as the years passed.
So many conversations and days would be spent revolving around food, food talk, recipe creation, fruit and veggie picking, and the actually cooking process itself.
Every time I came to visit my grandmother she would always make this split pea soup recipe for me (and my all time favorite ham roll ups). While it is a fairly simple soup without any highly expensive or sophisticated ingredients, somehow it is still my favorite soup recipe of all time.
The simplicity of it is what I love. Split pea soup is consistent. It’s smooth and creamy and full of flavor, even though there are only a handful of ingredients used.
To this day, whenever I am sick or feeling sad this is the soup that I crave.
This is the soup that makes me feel better on those off days. On the days I wish I could be in the kitchen with my grandmother.
- 2 liters water
- 1 pound beef preferably with bone
- 1 carrot peeled
- 1 celery stick
- 1 onion peeled
- 1 pound yellow split peas
- salt pepper
- 2 bay leaves
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Place split peas in a bowl and cover them with warm water, set aside. Add beef and water to pot. Bring to a boil and as soon as it boils pour the water out and add 2 more liters cold water. Bring to a boil again.
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As soon as it boils reduce heat to low and add carrot, celery and onion. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
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Add split peas and continue to simmer until they are soft, 1-2 hours. When split peas are almost fully cooked add salt, pepper and 2 bay leaves. When fully cooked remove onion, celery and bay leaves (can keep carrot in - optional).
Linda says
Have always wanted to make this.