Mom’s Split Pea Soup Recipe

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$A bowl of Mom\'s split pea soup with a spoon and cloth napkin beside it$

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I drove home the other day and my outside thermostat was showing 7˚F! I walked out of work, zipped my coat to my chin and bolted to my car. My paper thin scrubs didn’t help me when I planted my bum on an ice cold leather seat. Gaaah!

There is a happy ending to this story. I came home to a hot bowl of this lovely split pea soup (made possible by my husband). It was perfect. He called my Mama for the how-to and surprised me when I walked in the door. Yeah,… I married up.

Ingredients for Mom’s Split Pea Soup:

4 quarts water
1 cup dry yellow split peas
1/2 lb pork riblets
5 medium potatoes
2 medium carrots
1 medium onion
3 Tbsp oil
3-4 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp fresh dill
1 1/2 tsp salt + more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning

Split Pea Soup

How to make Split Pea Soup:

1. Add 4 quarts of water to a large soup pot over med/high heat. Place 1 cup of dry yellow split peas in the pot along with the riblets; cover (leave the pot open a crack so it doesn’t overflow) and boil for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until peas are almost dissolved. Use a large spoon to remove impurities that float to the top; I did this few times during the cooking process.

Note: I’ve tested soaking peas overnight in the water to speed up the cooking process but did not notice any difference in timing.

Two photos of a pot with split peas and meat

2. While peas and riblets are boiling, peel and dice 5 potatoes into half-inch cubes, peel and cut the first carrot into small circles about the thickness of quarters. Once the peas dissolve, add potatoes and carrots to the pot. Cook an additional 15 min or until potatoes are cooked through and easily pierced with a fork.

Two photos of diced carrots and potatoes, one on a cutting board and in one in a pot

3. Finely grate the second carrot. Then thinly dice 1 onion. Saute both over med/high heat with 3 Tbsp oil until translucent, then add in 3 pressed cloves of garlic along with 2 Tbsp of fresh dill; stir an additional 30 seconds or until garlic is fragrant. Add everything to the soup pot.

$Six photos of ingredients being fried for Mom\'s split pea soup$

4. Finally, add 1 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp Mrs. Dash and finish. Add more seasoning to taste.

Split Pea Soup-12

5. When soup is finished, remove it from the heat and take out all the riblets. Using a fork, separate the meat from the bone and return the clean meat back into the soup. Discard the bones. I’m picky about meat in my soup; I don’t like nasty little “surprises.” My husband did an awesome job with this meat; I didn’t have to inspect what was in each spoonful. He knows me well!

$Two photos one of Mom\'s split pea soup in a spoon and one of shredded meat$

Serve with some fresh chopped parsley on top. And it’s done

$A white bowl of Mom\'s split pea soup garnished parsley$

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.