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Quebec pea soup
Soupe aux pois: whole yellow peas slow-simmered with savory, carrot and onion
In Quebec farmhouses a pot of soupe aux pois went on the back of the wood stove on Saturday and fed the family through the cold weeks; it is still served at sugar shacks and on chilly Sundays from Gaspé to Gatineau. Whole yellow peas break down over three hours into a thick, golden, earthy soup scented with summer savory. The old version is cooked with a slab of salt pork; this pot leaves it out and builds depth with browned onion and a bay leaf instead, so it is vegan. Serve with crusty bread or a ploye. Chef's tip: use whole yellow peas, not split ones; they hold some bite and give the soup its proper rustic body.
- Total time
- 200 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 16 oz whole dried yellow peassoaked overnight in cold water
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 2 carrotsdiced small
- 2 celery sticksdiced small
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 2 tsp dried summer savoryor dried thyme
- 10 ½ cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)to serve
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Drain the soaked 16 oz whole dried yellow peas and rinse them under cold water until it runs clear. Pick out any that are shrivelled or discoloured.
5 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over a medium heat. Fry 2 onions for 10 minutes until soft and lightly golden at the edges; this browning stands in for the salt pork's savour.
12 minStep 3: Add 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks and 2 cloves garlic and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until the garlic smells sweet.
4 minStep 4: Tip in the peas, 2 bay leaves, 2 tsp dried summer savory and 10 ½ cups water. Bring to the boil and skim off the grey foam that rises in the first few minutes.
10 minStep 5: Lower the heat so the soup barely bubbles, half-cover and cook for about 2½ hours, stirring now and then and adding a splash of hot water if it gets too thick. The peas are ready when they crush easily against the side of the pot and some have collapsed into the broth.
150 minStep 6: Fish out the bay leaves. Season with 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper only now; a common mistake is salting at the start, which keeps the peas firm and slows the cooking.
5 minStep 7: For a creamier soup, mash a quarter of the peas against the pot with a ladle. Serve hot, scattered with 2 tbsp chopped parsley.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 16 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 17 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does quebec pea soup take?
- About 200 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 180 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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