Habitant Split Pea Soup

Habitant Split Pea Soup is a nostalgic childhood favorite! When I was growing up in Nova-Scotia I would ask my babysitter for the canned version for lunch practically day. Canadians, you know exactly which can I’m talking about! It was either Habitant Split Pea Soup or Cream of Mushroom Soup. This hearty and comforting soup/stew was lugged around in my thermos hundreds of times over the years and I still get cravings a few times a year.

Did you know that French settlers who farmed the land in rural Québec along the St Lawrence River were once known as Habitants? This soup was one of their staples – a creamy stew of yellow split peas and crispy bits of pork. Serve this soup in the fall and winter when you’re needing some cold weather comfort food. Top with a dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream to make it extra creamy and indulgent!

P.S. This soup tastes even better the next day and is an all-star in the freezer.

What you’ll need to make Habitant Split Pea Soup:

• extra-virgin olive oil 
• onion 
• carrots 
• celery
• dried yellow split peas
• bay leaves
• fresh thyme 
• dried savory
• beef stock
• water
• package of salted pork 
• crème fraîche or sour cream
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Traditional Québecois-style split pea soup calls for a smoked ham hock but I haven’t used it in my recipe for more than a decade. The salted pork is enough meat and lends ample flavor to this dish. It’s also much easier to find a piece of salted pork than a smoked ham hock. I typically grab a package of salted pork in the fall (along with a bag of yellow split peas), toss it in the freezer, then I can make this recipe on a whim. If you’re wanting to make this traditional recipe by the book, add a ham hock to your grocery list.

Does it matter if I use yellow or green split peas?

Québécois-style Habitant Split Pea Soup specifically calls for yellow split peas. Yellow peas carry more starch, have a milder, earthy and nutty taste. Basically, they’re less intense than green peas. Although green split peas are also used in soups, they have a very different taste and texture. So make sure you grab the yellow variety for this recipe!

The low-down on yellow split peas:

You can find dried yellow split peas in the bean/grain/rice aisle of most grocery stores. It’s important to note: you don’t want to use a package that’s been in your cupboard for too long; dried split peas do go stale. I typically grab a package when the cold weather hits and try to make sure I use it within 2-3 months. If your split peas are aren’t getting soft after a couple of hours of cooking, they’ve gone stale. I’ve been a victim of this heinous crime; it’s less than ideal.

Do I need to soak the split peas?

Negative! Simply place the peas in a strainer, then rinse under running cold water. Be sure to discard any odd looking ones.

Sacha Hirschfeld

Habitant Split Pea Soup

Habitant Split Pea Soup is an ode to the French settlers who farmed the land in rural Québec. A creamy stew of yellow split peas and crispy bits of pork; a staple from back in the day!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Servings: 8

Course: Soups

Cuisine: Canadian, French, French-Canadian

Calories: 489

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil or rendered pork fat
• 1 ½ cups onion diced
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 1 cup celery diced
• 2 cups dried yellow split peas rinsed but not soaked
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme may sub ¾ tsp dried
• 1 tsp savory
• 8 cups beef stock
• 3 cups water
• 6-9 ounces salted pork whole piece
• ½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream; plus more for serving (optional)
• 1 tsp kosher salt more to taste
• ½ tsp freshly ground pepper

Equipment

• 1 large Dutch oven
• 1 chefs knife
• 1 cutting board
• 1 vegetable peeler
• measuring cups
• measuring spoons
• 1 wooden spoon
• 1 tongs to remove piece of salted pork
• 1 medium non-stick skillet
• 1 immersion blender may use a small blender or food processor
• 1 soup ladle

Method

 

1. Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil or rendered pork fat to the pot; swirl to coat. Add onion, carrot and celery; sauté for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Stir in yellow split peas, bay leaves, fresh thyme, and dried savory; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  
3. Add beef broth, water, and salted pork to the pot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, simmer with the lid on for 1 ½ -2 hours or until split peas are tender and thickened, skimming the surface as necessary.
4. Remove pot from heat; allow soup to cool for 10 minutes. Remove salted pork (using tongs), discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
5. If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup until you reach your desired consistency. I lean towards a heartier soup with more texture, so I'm careful not to blend too much! Alternatively, you can purée 3 cups of the pea mixture using a food processor or blender, then return to pot.

   After whichever method you choose, turn the heat to low, add ½ cup of crème fraîche or sour cream, and stir until it thickens slightly. This adds a really nice element of creaminess to the soup.
6. Dice the salted pork. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced salted pork to the pan, sauté until crispy and browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
7. Return crispy salted pork to the pot, stirring to incorporate into the soup. As an alternative, you can top each bowl with a spoonful of crispy pork, but I prefer it mixed into the soup. 
8. Taste; season as necessary with kosher salt and black pepper.
9. Top each bowl with a spoonful of crème fraîche or sour cream (optional).

Notes

Do I need to use yellow split peas for this recipes?

Québécois-style Habitant Split Pea Soup specifically calls for yellow split peas. Yellow peas carry more starch, have a milder, earthy and nutty taste. Basically, they’re less intense than green peas. Although green split peas are also used in soups, they have a very different taste and texture. So make sure you grab the yellow variety for this recipe!

The low-down on split peas:

You can find dried yellow split peas in the bean/grain/rice aisle of most grocery stores. It’s important to note: you don’t want to use a package that’s been in your cupboard for too long; dried split peas do go stale. I typically grab a package when the cold weather hits and try to make sure I use it within 2-3 months. If your split peas are aren’t getting soft after a couple of hours of cooking, they’ve gone stale. I’ve been a victim of this heinous crime; it’s less than ideal.

Do I need to soak the dried split peas?

Negative! Simply place the peas in a strainer, then rinse under running cold water. Be sure to discard any odd looking ones.