Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

How was this Rosh Hashanah different than all other years? I attended prayer services in a tent that was open on three sides to the elements. The prayer gathering began at 7:00 a.m., around sunrise. The starkness of the surroundings led to very meaningful prayer on a day noted for its rejoicing but also serious introspection. It also led to some very cold feet and hands after being outside in the early morning chill for several hours. Greeted by the smoky scent of this stick-to-your-ribs hearty split pea soup on our return home, we warmed up quickly after enjoying a bowl (or two). This recipe for split pea soup is by Bonnie Stern, from The CKFM Bonnie Stern Cookbook, modified somewhat by me.

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

Aside from being delicious and filling, eating soup has many health benefits that you may have already intuited. A warm bowl of soup has an incredibly comforting effect. On a stressful day, eating a bowl of soup can help reduce your anxiety and calm your nerves. Soup can also help boost your energy, which will improve your mood. The health benefits of soup are no exaggeration. Research has proven that soup gives your immune system a boost. Soups can help you fight off colds and flu, and they’re also a great remedy for other times when you’re feeling unwell. And as an added bonus, according to a study out of Penn State, eating soup before lunch helped people naturally cut 134 calories out of their entire meal. It seems that no matter what health benefits you are looking for from your diet, soup is a great option.

This classic Québecois split pea soup gets new life with the addition of smoked turkey. I recommend using a smoked turkey thigh. I cut the meat off the bone and set it aside to add to the soup in the last fifteen minutes of cooking to preserve it’s smoky flavor. I toss the bone with meat clinging to it, into the soup pot to enhance the flavor of the soup as it cooks. This soup is almost a meal in a bowl and as an added bonus, you can make it in advance and freeze it. So don’t delay. Fall is in the air. It’s time to enjoy a hearty bowl of split pea turkey soup.

Assemble your ingredients. Slice the meat off the turkey thigh and cut it into small cubes. Set the cubed meat aside in the refrigerator while the soup cooks. 

Dice three onions and mince two cloves of garlic. Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large soup pot and heat it up over a medium-low flame. Add the diced onions and garlic to the pot. Allow the onion to soften and become translucent. Dice two carrots and a stalk of celery. Add to the pot and allow them to soften slightly. Stir the vegetables from time to time to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot and scorching. Add the split peas and meat bone to the vegetables. Add 12 cups of water and one tablespoon of consommé powder. Add salt to taste (I start off with a teaspoon of salt and season the soup again after it finishes cooking). Allow the soup to come to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. 

Add the reserved meat to the soup and cook for an additional fifteen minutes. Season to taste and serve, or allow the soup to cool and freeze it.

Print Recipe

Split Pea Soup with Smoked Turkey

Soups and Salads

By Bonnie Stern, The CKFM Bonnie Stern Cookbook, modified by me – Serves: 8-10

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 2 hours – Total Time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

A stick-to-your-ribs classic split pea soup enhanced with the addition of chunks of smoked turkey.

Ingredients

• 1 pound green split peas
• 12 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon consommé powder
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3 onions, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 smoked turkey thigh, meat removed from the bone and diced (save the bone for the soup pot), discard the skin and fat
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1

Remove the smoked turkey meat from the bone. Keep a little meat on the bone. Your are going to add the bone with the meat clinging to it to the soup pot. Dice the turkey meat into small cubes. Reserve the meat cubes for later. Set aside the bone of the turkey thigh.

2

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onions and garlic in the oil until softened, stirring often. Don't let the onions burn.

3

Add the diced celery and carrots to the pot. Continue to sauté for a few minutes longer. Add the split peas to the pot. Stir the contents of the soup pot.

4

Add the consommé powder to the water. Add the water to the pot of vegetables. Add the smoked turkey bone to the soup pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the soup to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Stir the soup from time to time to make sure that the vegetables aren't sticking to the bottom of the pot.

5

Add the reserved smoked turkey chunks in the last 15 minutes of cooking. Add salt to taste.

6

Serve hot.

Notes

This soup freezes beautifully. It may thicken on standing. Thin with water before serving if necessary