The name “Split Pea Soup” may not sound exciting, and I admit I judged it by its name. Until recently I had never tried it because I assumed it wouldn’t be good. But I was wrong — split pea soup is surprisingly delicious. It taught me a simple lesson: don’t judge something by its name or appearance.
This soup is hearty, filling, and very nutritious. It’s a great way to get a lot of vegetables, grains, and legumes into one meal. It also happens to be a hit with my family. Convincing a picky eater can be a challenge: for example, my daughter Meghan started lunch with half an avocado and eyed the chilled soup suspiciously, calling it “blueberries” because of its color and because she wanted dessert. I stayed calm and matter-of-fact, offered her a spoonful, and she surprised herself — she ended up eating almost all of it after a few cautious bites. Sometimes a gentle nudge and a patient approach are all that’s needed to get kids to try new foods.
Before sharing the recipe, a few words about split peas. They’re a nourishing ingredient that deserves more attention. Split peas are a good plant-based source of protein, which is useful since I omitted ham from this version (I don’t eat pork). They’re also high in fiber and provide several important minerals and B vitamins, plus beneficial phytonutrients. If you’ve dismissed split pea soup because of the name or visual appeal, consider giving it a second chance — its flavor and nutrition make it well worth trying.
Split Pea Soup (is Really Good)
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- Author: Healthy Happy Mama
- Total Time: 130 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
This soup is hearty, filling, and extremely nutritious.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup dried split green peas
- 1/2 cup pearled barley
- 1 bay leaf
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon kelp
- 1 onion, minced
- 1 large sweet potato, diced
- 1 large handful fresh spinach, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 heaping teaspoons mellow white miso
Instructions
- Place the split peas, barley, bay leaf, and chicken stock in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add the remaining ingredients, except the miso, and simmer another 20–30 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and stir in the miso just before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Simply Natural Baby Food*
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 120 minutes
- Category: soup
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 173
- Sugar: 5.8g
- Sodium: 591mg
- Fat: 3.25g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Protein: 9g
*If preparing this for a baby, use water instead of stock to reduce sodium; babies’ kidneys cannot process large amounts of salt. The original recipe used water, but I chose stock for more flavor since there isn’t a baby in the house anymore.
Here is Meghan enjoying her lunch. I asked her to “look up” so I could see her face, and she did. 🙂