Split Green Peas

Name: Split green peas — dried green field peas that have been skinned and split in half, sold as small, bright green half-spheres with a sweet, earthy flavour. They cook down into a thick, creamy puree.

Description

Split peas are made from green peas that were left to dry in the field, then hulled and split, which makes them quicker to cook, with no need to soak. They are a staple of cold-climate cooking, in Canada, Northern Europe and the United States, and have been used for centuries in soups, stews and purees. Thick pea soup was a staple of European kitchens, and in Britain a thick green-yellow pea soup is known as a “London particular,” after the city's famously dense fog.

Split green peas break down completely when cooked, giving soups their characteristic velvety thickness, with a sweeter, more delicate flavour than yellow split peas.

Main nutrition value

Split green peas are an excellent source of plant protein and fibre, and provide folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and thiamin, with little fat.

How best to be consumed

Split green peas need no soaking, and cook down to a puree.

1. Rinse, and simmer in stock for 45 to 60 minutes until soft and creamy.
2. Make into classic split pea soup with onion, carrot, celery and a ham bone or smoked paprika.
3. Stew into dal-like dishes, or puree into dips and spreads.
4. Stir often, since they settle and can stick to the pot.
5. Add salt and acid at the end.

Overconsumption could cause…

Split green peas are healthy in food amounts when cooked.

1. Bloating and gas from the fermentable carbohydrates in legumes, particularly if you are not used to eating them, so build up gradually and drink water.
2. Allergic reactions in a small number of people allergic to legumes.
3. Reduced absorption of iron, zinc and calcium from the phytates in dried pulses, which soaking and thorough cooking reduce.
4. A lot of salt and fat in soups made with ham hocks and smoked meat.

GroupsPeasLegume familyHigh fibreHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in ironRich in potassiumRich in zinc

Related foodsPigeon PeasBlack-Eyed PeasField PeasGreen PeasSnow PeasSugar Snap Peas

Wikipedia — Split pea, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split_pea