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This fabulous Golden Split Pea Soup is the epitome of healthy comfort food. Lots of veggies, golden split peas and bits of tender ham are simmered together to create a delicious meal-in-a-bowl!
I'm pretty sure, if this Golden Split Pea Soup could talk, it would be shouting. But instead of one single clear voice, it would probably sound more like a cacophony. Why? Well, while parts of it would be shouting "delicious!", others would be yelling, "healthy!" and then another group chiming in "beautiful!". See what I mean? A cacophony... all those voices shouting at once!
They all ring true
I'm here to say that they're all speaking the truth. This Golden Split Pea Soup's loaded with warm, comforting flavor, it's super healthy, with a boatload of great veggies, and it looks like sunshine in a bowl with a gorgeous golden hue and bits of carrot, potato and tender ham nestled throughout. A shower of tiny fresh thyme leaves is the beautiful crowning glory.
If you're not a fan of split pea soup, don't click away quite yet. You might just be in for a big surprise. Yellow split peas are quite different than the traditional green variety. In addition to being much prettier than their verdant cousins, yellow split peas are mellower and milder in flavor. So if it's the "pea" taste you're not particularly fond of, you might want to give this Golden Split Pea Soup a try!
On the other hand, if you enjoy traditional split pea soup, I think you'll LOVE this delicious, sunny-hued rendition. With onion, garlic, golden beets, carrots, potatoes and bits of smoky ham, all melded together with chicken broth, bay leaves, turmeric and a pinch of smoked paprika, this Golden Split Pea Soup is a fabulous meal in a bowl!
It makes a great lunch or casual dinner served with a simple green salad and some warm crusty rolls or a loaf of crisp, hot bread. I also like to serve it with a pile of shatteringly crisp crostini as pictured in this post. To make crostini, simply cut a baguette into slices, drizzle generously with olive oil and bake until crisp and golden.
Simmer, simmer, simmer
This is not a throw-it-all-in-a-pot and be done in 30 minute soup. It is a throw-it-all-in-a-pot-and-let-it-go soup though. The split peas take a good hour (or longer) to soften and "melt" so you want to make this on a day when you're hanging out at home and can give the pot a stir every now and then. But it's a great make-ahead soup that gets even better as the ingredients have a chance to meld and marry.
The recipe for this Golden Split Pea Soup yields a good quantity, but this soup makes fantastic leftovers and it also freezes well, making it an awesome busy-day dinner.
Check out the recipe, make your grocery list and put this Golden Split Pea Soup on your menu soon. It will be a delicious, healthy change from heavy meals and everyday ho-hum.
Café Tips for making this Golden Split Pea Soup
- This recipe calls for golden (or yellow) beets. One of the beauties of golden beets (vs their traditional ruby red siblings) is that you can peel and chop them up without staining your hands. They have all the nutritional value of red beets, but have a milder, sweeter flavor.
- All this being said, golden beets aren't always readily available. If you can't find golden beets, just skip them. This Golden Split Pea Soup will still be delicious without them. You could add some extra carrots to make up the difference.
- Most larger grocery stores carry golden split peas in the area with the dried beans and green split peas but you can also order them online.
- Split peas can vary in their dryness often depending on their age. The recipe instructs to cook the peas for one hour before adding the carrots, potatoes and ham. Take a little taste of the soup after one hour of simmering. The peas should be soft and starting to fall apart. If they're not, give them another 15-30 minutes before adding the potatoes, carrots and ham.
- When cooking dried peas and beans, it's best to add the salt later in the process. Sometimes, salt can slow down the softening time and with split pea soup, you want the peas to basically fall apart.
- Don't skip the turmeric or smoked paprika. You don't really taste either spice distinctly but the spices melt to create delicious, warm flavor. Smoked paprika and turmeric can be found in the spice section at larger grocery stores. Look for a mild smoked paprika, not one that's labeled "hot". I really like this brand of smoked paprika.
- Ten cups of broth may sound like a lot but remember, you're starting out with dried peas. They will soak up a lot of liquid.
- If you'd like to make this soup vegetarian, simply substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and leave out the ham. It will still be delicious!
- This Golden Split Pea Soup recipe is a great way to use up leftover ham but if you don't have leftovers, just purchase a chunk of smoky ham from the deli. I love Boarshead Applewood Smoked Uncured Ham and Boarshead Sweet Slice Smoked Uncured Ham.
- I like to dice the onions, carrots and potatoes nice and small for this soup. I use my Vidalia Chopper to chop them up in minutes. This is honestly one of my favorite kitchen tools. When Scott hears the whack, whack, whack of the "chopper", he knows that something delicious is right around the corner. It's great for onions, carrots, potatoes, turnips, bell papers, cucumbers, summer and winter squash, celery, apples, pears... It doesn't work well for soft things like pineapple, bananas, ham...
- You'll want to use a large pot or Dutch oven to make this Golden Split Pea Soup. I love my Staub Dutch Oven/Cocotte. This would be a dream gift for someone who enjoys cooking.
Thought for the day:
Look at the birds of the air;
they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
Can any one of you by worrying
add a single hour to your life?
Matthew 6:26&27
What we're listening to for inspiration:
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
This fabulous Golden Split Pea Soup is the epitome of healthy comfort food. Lots of veggies, golden split peas and bits of tender ham are simmered together to create a delicious meal-in-a-bowl!
- 1 pound yellow split peas
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 large sweet onion diced small
- 8 ounces golden beets diced small
- 4 medium cloves garlic finely minced
- 10 cups low sodium chicken broth maybe more
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ ` teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12 ounces carrots diced small (I used baby carrots)
- 12 ounces potatoes peeled and diced small
- 1½ cups diced smoky ham more to taste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves plus more for garnish, if desired
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Rinse the split peas until the water runs clear. Drain and set aside
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Heat a large stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil and swirl the pan until the butter is melted. Add the chopped onions and chopped beets and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cooking, stirring continuously for another 30 seconds.
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Add the chicken broth, split peas, bay leaves, turmeric and smoked paprika. Bring the mixture to a low, steady boil and cover with the lid slightly vented. Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally. Take a taste to see if the peas are tender and starting to fall apart. If they’re not, cook for another 10-30 minutes, until the peas are very tender.
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Add the potatoes, carrots, ham, salt and pepper. Return the mixture to a boil and cook for 20-25 minutes until the carrots are very tender. Add the thyme leaves, remove from the heat and cover. Allow the soup to sit for 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. Taste and add more salt and/or pepper if needed.
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Serve with a garish of more fresh thyme leaves.
See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips.
CK says
Can this be made in a crockpot or instant pot? If so, what are your recommendations for altering the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi CK, I haven't tested this recipe in a crockpot or instant pot but I think it should work. I just can't give you specific adaptations without testing it myself.
Susan Graby says
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it to for our dinner. Both my husband and I loved it! I roasted the vegetables before adding them to the soup pot and so by-pass the butter as they already had a drizzle of olive oil on them. I’ve never eaten golden split peas for yellow beets. This is a new favorite!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Susan!
Lily says
This was amazing! I made it vegan by substituting plant based vegetable spread for the butter, vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and omitted the ham. It was the perfect dinner with a side of garlic bread, and leftovers were even better when the flavors all melded together. I'm not a fan of red beets, so was hesitant to try a soup that had beets in it, but not kidding about golden beets being sweeter and this recipe has completely changed my mind re: beets.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Lily!
Kathryn Tarazoff says
I haven't tried this yet but it looks so delicious! I have to say that every time I look at one of your recipes I get very distracted by all your blue and white dishes, pots and other beautiful pieces! I wish you had sources for these as well.
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! Thanks, Kathryn! I am definitely a sucker for blue and white. I have found my pieces all over the place though, from consignment shops to HomeGoods to Ikea to Amazon and Wiliams Sonoma!
Catriona says
Happy New Year, Chris! Another winning recipe from Café Sucre Farine! Normally when I make a new recipe, I endeavor to follow it to a T, because from experience I find it best to do so the first time before "tweaking" anything. However, yesterday I was in the mood for a bit of nostalgia (being born in Scotland) and a warming bowl of golden split pea soup, despite the fact that I had neither golden beets nor ham. However, I did have some prosciutto and rutabaga! The only changes I made were to sauté the diced prosciutto along with the onion and replaced the diced rutabaga (a Scottish fave) for the golden beets. YUM!!! Both my husband and I loved your recipe! Thank you again for all of your beautifully written and delicious recipes!
Bonnie says
Another amazing recipe Chris. I made this soup Christmas Eve day and have enjoyed it since for lunch. It’s exactly as you described- the peas melt and the chunkiness of the beets and potatoes give it texture. The taste is delicious- I used to love split pea soup but I prefer the golden variety as the flavor is more subtle. It’s the perfect soup for a cold winter day. I froze half of it as the rest of my family members aren’t split pea fans but I have some girlfriends who would love it. Thanks!
Lily says
This is amazing, and has completely changed my feelings about beets (well, at least in this recipe). This is also phenomenal, and so flavorful being tweaked to be vegan (vegan butter, vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the ham). Since hubby is not vegan between step 3 and 4, I pour half into a second pan which I add ham to his portion along with half the veggies in step 4. Safe to say this has been added into our regular dinner rotation.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Lily, for sharing your review! I loved hearing how you adapted it to vegan and not vegan! So smart!
Ruth says
Your soup is beautiful! I can hardly wait to get my hands on some yellow split peas to make this. Interestingly, I made green split soup on Monday. I remarked to my husband about the green colored soup, “This soup is so good and so comforting, but it is the ugliest soup there is.”
Thank you for coming up with this version. I will come back later with a review....after I find the the yellow peas.
Nancy Paramore says
I got my yellow peas at the Mennonite food store. We live in Shiloh Ohio. They are on internet, can mail Order
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Nancy!
Ruth says
I was able to find the Goya yellow split peas at Publix.....less expensive than ordering them. I did have to ask for help in locating them in the store, as they were NOT located with the other dried peas and beans.
The soup turned out wonderfully well! (Delicious, filling and so healthy.) I halved the recipe and used the instant pot for cooking.......15 minutes of cook time, with a natural release. I did wait until the soup was through cooking before adding the ham.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for sharing your results, Ruth!
D. Larsen says
In step 2 : "chopped onions and chopped beets and cook for minutes until the onions are soft and translucent" Is 45 minutes correct or should it be 45 seconds?
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for noticing that. I have corrected the recipe. It should be 4-5 minutes.
Maryann says
The recipe makes a lot of soup and I am wondering, how well does it freeze? Thank you
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, it freezes well!