Calories in Split Pea Soup Complete Nutrition Guide and Health Benefits

Alright folks, today I wanna walk you through my whole adventure making split pea soup – and digging into what makes it actually good for you. Seriously, this stuff’s cheap, filling, and turned out surprisingly awesome.

The Starting Point & Why Split Peas?

Needed something dead simple that would last all week. Peas were staring at me from the pantry shelf – probably bought them ages ago for some forgotten recipe. Checked the bag: dried green split peas. Huh. Okay. Figured I couldn’t screw it up too badly, plus it’s gotta be pretty decent health-wise, right? Always see it mentioned as healthy. Time to test that theory.

Grabbed the basics:

• That bag of dried split peas (Whole bag? Why not!)
• A lonely onion and a couple carrots hiding in the veggie drawer
• A few stalks of celery looking a bit limp but still good
• Some garlic cloves (never enough garlic)
• Veggie broth I had in the pantry
• Water (obviously)
• A ham bone chilling in the freezer from Easter

The Messy Chopping Phase

First things first: rinsed the peas like crazy in a colander. Those things are dusty! Dumped them in a big bowl and covered them with cold water to sit for a bit while I prepped. Started chopping. Onion first – cue the tears. Soaked a paper towel, held it in my mouth… slightly helped. Chopped the carrots and celery roughly. Who needs perfect pieces? Smashed the garlic with the side of my knife because doing it the fancy way takes too long. Got everything into little piles on the cutting board.

Building the Soup – Smells Started Happening

Got out my biggest pot. Threw in a splash of olive oil and fired up the burner. Sauteed the onions and celery first until they started getting soft, trying hard not to burn the garlic I added too early like an idiot (pulled it off the heat quick!). Then tossed in the carrots for another few minutes. Drained the peas I’d been soaking and dumped them into the pot. Stirred it all up. Plopped in that ham bone like it owed me money. Poured in the veggie broth and added enough water to cover everything by a couple inches. Dropped a bay leaf on top for good luck.

Waited for the pot to come alive. Slowly. Took its sweet time. Finally started bubbling. Turned the heat way down, slapped a lid on slightly tilted to let some steam out, and settled in for the long simmer. Set a timer for 45 minutes because my brain doesn’t trust itself.

The Waiting Game & Smell Test

Checked it every now and then. Stirred. Scraped the bottom because peas love sticking. Smelled… amazing. Like smoky, warm, pea-y goodness filling up my whole kitchen. After about 30 minutes, the peas were definitely starting to break down. Poked the ham bone – meat was falling off! Fished out the bone with tongs (hot!). Let it cool a bit, then pulled off all the meat chunks I could find, chopping it up rough. Threw the meat back into the pot. Kept simmering. Ended up simmering for about an hour and 15 minutes total? Lid mostly off near the end to thicken it up. Added some salt and pepper finally. Taste test: Needed more pepper! Fixed it.

The Research Part – Nerdy Facts Time

Soup was done. Looked thick, green, and hearty. Stuck my face in the steam and inhaled. YES. But now, my brain wanted answers. Healthy like everyone says? Or just marketing crap?

Grabbed my laptop covered in soup splatter. Researched while letting the pot cool. Learned:

• Protein Powerhouse: Those little peas? Packed with plant protein. Makes you feel full longer. Good news for lunch leftovers.
• Fiber King: Seriously, tons of fiber. Both kinds! Keeps things moving smooth and might help keep blood sugar chill. Big win.
• Vitamins & Stuff: Found out split peas have good stuff like Folate (important!), Potassium (good for blood pressure?), Iron, and Magnesium. Nice bonus.
• Kind to the Wallet & Body: Low in fat, naturally cheap to make a huge pot of? Sign me up any day over canned stuff full of sodium.
• Slow Burn Energy: The complex carbs? Release energy slow and steady. No crazy sugar crash feeling later. That explains why it sticks with you.
• Extra Goodness: Found mentions of antioxidants and stuff that fights inflammation. Even better.

The Big Verdict

Dished up a huge steaming bowl. Added a drizzle of olive oil on top just for fun. The taste? BEST I EVER HAD homemade. Thick, smoky, savory, just perfect. So satisfying.

Calories? Didn’t meticulously count each pea – that’s not the point. Making it from scratch lets you control the salt, skip unnecessary fat, pack in veggies, and get that awesome combo of protein and fiber. It feels wholesome. You know what you’re putting in. No weird additives.

Totally worth the wait and the messy stove. This soup? Easy win for health, budget, and taste. Definitely making it a regular player. Go make some!