No. Just onions and a carrot chopped wee small.

I do not put potatoes in split pea soup, but I do put them in lentil soup, which is somewhat similar, I think.

I put onions in split pea soup but not carrots.

In lentil soup, I do add grated carrot and chopped celery.

For me, split pea soup is mainly just the split peas and a ham bone, if you use that. I generally don't because Kevin will not eat it. I would add cooked bacon to mine.

I do not think that putting potatoes in split pea soup is a bad idea, but I would cut them into tiny cubes if I did add them. I would also add celery leaves but not the celery stalks. The celery that I got at the farmers' market on Sunday was more leaves than stalk, but I specifically look for that. I often use celery leaves in place of parsley, depending on how much parsley I have in my yard. Usually I have a lot of parsley in the yard in the winter - it does not grow as well in the summer.

No carrots or potatoes. Just 1/2 onion, 2 celery ribs, and 3 cloves of garlic. All diced to oblivion!

Always use ham hock for flavor. I may try a small finely chopped potato and celery once. See how it goes.

I do put potatoes in mine. I cannot eat smoked meats. This is a hearty recipe from the Barefoot Contessa that I like a lot - I use the chicken broth https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parkers-split-pea-soup-recipe-1916855

One of the videos I watched was hers', Seagrass.

Most of the recipes I have seen do not have potatoes, but they do tend to have carrots and celery - I would grate the carrot and finely mince the celery.

Here are five of them:

Fine Cooking Split Pea Soup

Wry Toast Split Pea Soup

Simply Recipes Split Pea

Hearty Split Pea Soup with Bacon

Velvety Split Pea and Ham Soup

Potatoes are an option, but not common, from my experience.

Lars, seemed like all but one of the ones that came up had potatoes for me. I thought that was odd. I usually do grate my carrots. Not used to super chunky pea soup, but I don't puree it either like some people.

No potatoes but I do put lentils with carrots and onions. Celery is a strong flavor so go sparingly!

A small amount of potatoes wouldn't add much flavor but could thicken the soup a bit. Same effect from using a bit more peas or a bit less liquid than the recipe indicates. I do this because I prefer pea soup to be thick. I like the traditional mirepoix soup base ingredients of onions, carrots and celery, plus a bit of parsley for freshness, in pea soup.

We always use potatoes.

No potatoes. Just the mirepoix mentioned, split peas, broth and whatever ham scraps I might have. If I have a ham bone or ham hocks available, I make the broth with that. And fresh herbs, usually thyme.

Split pea soup is plenty thick already without needing to add potatoes! In fact, it usually needs additional liquids added to thin out any leftovers.

I think I'm just going to add the celery, very finely chopped. Skip the potatoes. Started making some bread in the bread machine a little while ago so will wait another hour or so to start my soup. I'm making it in the instant pot, which is what I was doing when I did a search for how long to cook it in the IP on Youtube. I don't recall ever making this soup in the IP before so wasn't sure if I was supposed to use the soup function or a quicker manual time.

I tend to mix broth and water. And I'm careful about adding the ham bone or hock too soon because the flavor tends to wash out (as what happens to chicken meat when making chicken broth).

I reserve pieces of meat to sprinkle in in the last 15 minutes to provide full flavored meat to enjoy with with the liquid.

I agree, heating what's leftover the next day always requires adding water to thin it out.

I really miss smoked meat in pea soup and bean soup. I miss smoked sausage and smoked fish too. Ever since I went through chemo for breast cancer, I have a strong aversion to smoke flavored foods and have to read ingredient labels very carefully. Finding a non-smokey commercial BBQ sauce is a big challenge. We have a 2 week trip planned to Savannah at the end of February. I have to tip toe through a minefield when we go to restaurants in the south - they flavor so many things with smoked pork products.

Seagrass, that sound awful.

glad that you are here with your messages, seagrass, but sorry for the unpleasant changes. its so easy to forget to revel in ’normal’!

i dont eat meat but almost suggested a bit of smoked trout on your split pea soup. my current condiment obsession is preserved lemon— is that something that you might enjoy? Mark Bittman’s pseudo version is quick to assemble and so much fun to eat.

that's a lot of carbs

lisaam - my husband has a boat and frequently catches bluefish which he smokes but I can no longer enjoy that. We give it to neighbors. I can find salmon gravlaax and lox, which I do enjoy. I get by and have found substitutes but eating in restaurants is somewhat complicated. I live with a curse LOL.

@Seagrass. If you can't have smoked meat, can you use liquid smoke? It is a natural product, just condensed smoke vapor. I add about 1 tsp. to a pot of chili or pea soup if I don't have a ham hock. A little goes a long way

I do now. For years I just made conventional split pea soup, often w bits of ham.

For the past ~ 10 years, I include micro diced carrot, onion onion, ham and potato. I has a more elegant flavor. Photo.

I much prefer it. And no more ”dog paw” aroma. The soup went to northern Europe. I enjoy every last spoonful. (I also add a bit of EVOO. It is a lean, flavorful soup.)

ETA My soup is not a thick porridge. No spoon standing up the next day..

I often cheat and use Alessi split pea soup mix. Add 4 cups of water and simmer 12 minutes. I add bits of ham. Not 'the real thing' simmered long and made from a ham bone, but quick and easy. I love legumes of all kinds. (I don't want potatoes in ANY soup. I just found some in a can of Progresso clam chowder...yuck.)

Sorry to hear that, Seagrass. I have made my pea soup with chicken broth, a few aromatics and herbs, the micro-diced carrot, onion and potato, and with NO pieces of ham. It’s still very good.

nekotish- no. Liquid smoke is smoke for me. I honestly get nauseated walking past BBQ smokers. My oncologist is very puzzled by it. I would love to just wish it away, but I can't. It's a permanent situation for me, sadly.

I love potatoes but don't add them to my split pea and ham soup. The peas are natural thickeners and add quite a bit. This recipe from the Silver Palate is our favorite. I don't add the spinach since it didn't seem to do much, and I omit the tarragon...not a fan. I also cook the soup quite a bit longer than the recipe calls for. This is also good with or without the sherry.

Split Pea Soup With Ham

1 pound dried green split peas
8 cups chicken stock (preferably low sodium)
2 cups water
1 meaty smoked ham shank (the ones I buy for this are about 1.75 lbs.)
2 ribs celery, leaves included, diced
3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp. crumbled dried tarragon leaves
4 T. butter
1 cup diced peeled carrots
1 cup diced onion
1 leek (white part only), rinsed and sliced
1 cup slivered fresh spinach leaves
2 T. dry sherry
1/2 tsp. pepper

Rinse peas in a strainer and then combine them with the stock and water in a large soup pot. Bring to a boil.

Add the ham shank, celery, 1 T. of parsley and tarragon. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add carrots, onion and leek. Cook until veggies are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add them to the soup pot, along with the spinach. Simmer, partially covered, about 45 minutes.

Remove soup from heat. Remove ham bone and shred meat from bone, removing any excess fat. Return meat to the soup.

Add sherry, pepper, and remaining 2 T. parsley. Taste for seasoning; salt is usually not needed due to the ham shank. Heat through and serve. For reheating: The soup will thicken quite a bit when chilled but will thin out when reheated.

Hominy. Canned. Drained and rinsed. It resembles small spheres of potato but it is a corn product. It is a French-Canadian addition.

I always add potatoes.

I have never added potatoes to split pea soup. I use onion, 1 stalk celery, 2 carrots, 2 cloves of garlic and diced ham. I like the carrots & celery chunky, not finely chopped.

"Hominy. Canned. Drained and rinsed. It resembles small spheres of potato but it is a corn product. It is a French-Canadian addition."

I thought hominy was of Central American origin? Quebecois?

PS - in that split peas are pretty starchy, I don't think split pea soup is enhanced by the addition of more carbs, whether potatoes, corn, or whatever.

FWIW, something that tastes very good in pea or lentil soup is curry powder. I haven't made split pea soup in a very long time, but I regularly make a yellow lentil soup with red (hulled & split) lentils,along with diced winter squash, chopped celery, onion and garlic, seasoned generously with Frontier Co-op's curry powder, which I get from local natural foods/bulk stores. It's rather mild and IMO, adds a great aroma and flavor.

I have put diced potatoes in pea soup - definitely makes it heartier. Potatoes don't really add anything in the way of flavor though.

It's a shame - and sort of weird - how chemo and other medical treatments impact people's ability to tolerate certain flavors &/or foods. I'm sure one day science will discover why that is. It may be related to how phobias develop - an unconscious association stemming from a triggering event.

I do ours with mirepoix, ham scraps and broth. No potatoes ever...but - plenty of garlic :)

Sounds good, Carol. I make a curried lentil soup with chicken broth, ginger, garlic garlic, curry and add butternut squash chunks and some dark greens. Curried lentils are yummy.

Seagrass, your a ersion to smoked flavor/odor may change some day. I hope.

I add potatoes, carrots, and onions. No ham. 😝

I am not sure of the origin of hominy. When I was a child, I thought they were little blobs of potato. Rather bland. Also the French/Canadian version often uses yellow split peas or a combination of yellow and green. The ham and veggies are just the same.

I always add diced potatoes.

The ‘recipe‘ I use depends entirely on what I feel like putting into it at the time.

No. NO. NO! Absolutely NO! To potatoes in Split Pea soup for me! A ham bone, water (or broth), some onion, and some carrots grated on the large grate. And the split peas, of course. Cooked long and slow, until there are no peas left, it's a very thick, smooth soup. I usually add the carrots late in the cooking time so they are cooked, but still visible. They are added more for color than for flavor.

Now I'm hungry for some, and we have a cold snap coming up, so I just might have to make a pot of it.

Rusty

I add pearl barley along with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and lots of smoked Spanish paprika.

No potato or other starches in the soup for me. Carrot & onion, celery if I happen to have it. Ham bone or any bones/stock that I may have, or chicken or beef broth if I don't have bones or stock. I may add kielbasa if just using broth.

Seasonings can be anywhere from basic salt/pepper, to a seasoned salt, to spicy, depending on the mood of the day. I might start with basic, then add squash or pumpkin and spicier seasonings (like curry or African/Middle East/Indian blends) to leftovers for another day.

Mmm, almost forgot about barley. I add that to my lentil soup.