Green Split Peas Soup Istrian Recipe

 This comforting, filling and hearty soup is a perfect winter warmer, incredibly easy to make, super delicious in its simplicity, and once you try it, you will add it to your soups recipe collection!

Split peas are quite different from their fresh counterpart, they are a specific kind of field pea, which are dried in order to be stored for a longer period. They are called split peas because after the outer hull is removed the peas are then split in half along a natural seam.

This wonderful soup is protein packed and here I am sharing my nona's recipe. For her, this dish represents a good “old fashioned” basic recipe and is a real staple in the gastronomic repertoire since she learned to make this soup from her grandmother, and so this is a very old family recipe.

She told me that when she was a child, this soup was very often on the tables, as it is a a traditional and classic soup made in Slovenian Istra, where locals refer to it in dialect as Maneštra iz biži špakaj while in standard Slovenian is called Mineštra iz suhega graha.

My nona also shared with me that when she was small, most of the ingredients were home made but this is not the case for dried green split peas, they were bought at the local food market or in a small family run food shop, since for both types of local businesses it was a crucial time for the local microeconomy.

This soup is normally home made and not typically found on the menus in the restaurants.

Try this very tasty one pot soup, and you will think twice before you open a can of soup bought in the supermarket!

Ingredients

  • 500g green split peas, soaked for about 8 hours or overnight

  • 1 medium potato (about 200g), peeled and roughly diced

  • 1 medium onion (about 100g), peeled and roughly chopped

  • few celery leaves

  • fresh flat leaf parsley, a handful (about 10g), roughly chopped

  • 1 small carrot (about 50g), peeled and finely grated

  • tip of fresh or dry bay leaf

  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

  • sea salt

  • ground black pepper

  • 2l cold water

Method

Place dried green split peas in a bowl, cover completely with plenty of cold water and soak for about 8 hours or overnight.

Drain soaked peas in a colander and rinse with cold running water.

Transfer soaked peas in a soup pot and add peeled and roughly diced potato, peeled and roughly chopped onion, few celery leaves, roughly chopped parsley, peeled and finely grated carrot, tip of fresh or dry bay leaf, extra virgin olive oil, pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.

Add 2 litres of cold water and bring to boil.

Turn the heat down, partially cover with the lid and gently simmer for about 1 ½ - 2 hours or until the peas are completely tender and disintegrated. Stir occasionally to avoid peas sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and black pepper and fish out the tip of bay leaf.

You can serve this soup as it is with a bit of texture or if you prefer a creamier texture purée the soup using an immersion blender (like I did for this recipe) or a regular blender.

For a smoother texture you can also use food mill or pass the puréed soup through a sieve which will result in an exceptionally smooth soup.

The soup should generally have a nice thickish consistency, but not too thick, in which case, dilute it adding a bit of water.

You can serve this soup as it is with a bit of texture or if you prefer a creamier texture purée the soup using an immersion blender (like I did for this recipe) or a regular blender.

For a smoother texture you can also use food mill or pass the puréed soup through a sieve which will result in an exceptionally smooth soup.

The soup should generally have a nice thickish consistency, but not too thick, in which case, dilute it adding a bit of water.

Traditionally it is served with small shaped pasta (ditalini, stelline, orzo, ect.) or rice, both cooked previously and separately and then added to the soup.

Just a thought

This soup is great made in advance and freezes very well.