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Québec yellow pea soup with ham (soupe aux pois), the whole dishQuébec yellow pea soup with ham (soupe aux pois), close up

Québec yellow pea soup with ham (soupe aux pois)

135 min · 28 g protein · 329 cals / serving

The habitant pea soup of Québec sugar shacks and winter kitchens: whole yellow peas simmered slowly with smoky ham, onion, carrot and celery until they collapse into a thick, golden, savory soup. Bay and savory perfume it, and the ham goes back in shredded at the end.

Servings6

Ingredients

  • 375 g (2 cups) dried yellow peas split peas, whole or split, rinsed (whole ones soaked overnight)
  • 2 litres (8 cups) water
  • 350 g (12 oz) lean smoked ham ham, in one piece, or a meaty ham hock trimmed of fat
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 3 carrots, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced, with leaves
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried summer savory dried thyme, or thyme
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • to taste salt, only after tasting; the ham is salty

To serve

Steps

  1. Put the peas, water and ham in a large pot and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that rises in the first 5 minutes.
  2. Add the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaves, savory and pepper. Lower the heat, cover with the lid ajar and simmer gently 1 1/2–2 hours, stirring now and then, until the peas have collapsed and the soup is thick. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.Step 2, what it should look like
  3. Lift out the ham, let it cool a few minutes, then shred or dice it.Step 3, what it should look like
  4. Fish out the bay leaves. For a smoother soup, mash some of the peas against the side of the pot. Return the ham, taste for salt and serve sprinkled with parsley.

Good to know

Whole yellow peas or split?

Traditional soupe aux pois uses whole yellow peas, soaked overnight, which keep a little texture. Split yellow peas need no soaking and melt into a smoother soup in about 1 1/2 hours. Both are right.

Can I use a leftover ham bone?

Yes, that is how most Québec families make it after a holiday ham. Simmer the bone with the peas, then pick off the meat and add about 2 cups of it.

Which ham is traditional?

Lard salé (salt pork) or a ham hock is the traditional choice and makes a richer, fattier soup: with a hock, a score of about 69 instead of 82. A piece of lean smoked ham gives the same smoky taste with far less fat to skim off.

Does it freeze?

Very well, for up to 3 months. It thickens as it stands; thin it with water when you reheat.

Alternative

Per

Calories
68
Protein
(37%)
6 g
Fat
(10%)
1 g
Carbohydrates
(53%)
10 g
of which sugar
2 g
Fiber
4 g
Sodium
177 mg

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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How

As written, 1976 kcal goes into the pot and 3291 g of ingredients comes out as about 2900 g of food: 68 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.