French Canadian yellow split-Pea Soup · simple artistic cooking (2024)

Prep 30 min

Ready 2 hr. 30 min.

Servings 4-6

When I was a child, my mom almost always had Habitant French Canadian pea soup in our cupboard. It was one of my favorites. It is very similar to traditional pea soup, but the peas are yellow. I know it is my brother’s favorite because he always asks about it and can’t find it in Oregon. Lately, I have been having a hard time finding it in the midwest and will probably have to check online to see if it is still available. Several years ago my wife and I were traveling home from Toronto, Canada after a short vacation. I stopped at a grocer and bought a case of Habitant soup. At the border, the security guard asked if I had anything to declare. I said I had a case of French Canadian pea soup in the trunk. He laughed and said to go ahead. He probably thought I was crazy, but I do love that soup.

Since I am having a hard time finding it, I thought I would try making some. I spent a long time driving around to several large and medium-size grocers looking for yellow peas but could not find them. I thought I might never find them since the big guys didn’t have them. A few days later, I was shopping at one of my favorite small grocers, Super Green Market. and found that they had yellow peas in bulk at a very inexpensive price. I was very excited since I thought I might have to give up on making this delicious soup.

The soup was easy to make.I had all the other ingredients on hand. I had some extra ham in the fridge from pizzas I had made the night before so I used that along with a ham hock I had in the freezer. After making the soup, I noticed that it was not as yellow as Habitant, but I think that is because I added more carrots. Anyway, it was delicious. This a perfect cold-weather soup. It pairs perfectly with artisan bread. I doubled the recipe and gave some to an older couple who lives next door to us.

Ingredients

• 1 unsmoked ham hock

• 1/4 lb. cooked ham, cubed

• 2 Tbs. butter

• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4” thick

• 1 rib celery, sliced 1/4” thick

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1 3/4 cups dried yellow split peas, rinsed

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tsp. dried savory

• 1 tsp. dried thyme

• 4 cups chicken broth

• 3 cups of water

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven melt the butter and saute the onion, carrots, and celery until they soften. About 8-10 minutes.

2. Add the chicken broth, water, peas, bay leaves, thyme, and savory. Stir.

3. Add the ham hock and ham and bring all to a boil.

4. Cover the pot and simmer the 2 hrs. stirring occasionally until the peas are soft.

5. Remove the meat from the hock and put it back into the soup.

6. Salt and pepper to taste. (Remove the bay leaf before serving.)

Serve immediately.

Notes: Sometimes I slightly puree pea soup with an immersion blender. This time I did not. The following day the soup thickens up on its own and, in my opinion, tastes even better than when first made. I served this soup with a fresh loaf of artisan bread and Irish butter.