Soupe aux pois in Montreal
Soupe aux pois is Quebec's yellow split pea soup, simmered with salt pork, onion and herbs into a thick, smoky bowl of sugar-shack and winter tables.
The story of Soupe aux pois
Yellow pea soup goes back to New France, when dried peas and salt pork were winter staples that kept for months. It became so identified with the province that Quebecers were once nicknamed pea-soupers. It remains a fixture of the cabane a sucre menu each spring. In Montreal it still turns up on cabane a sucre menus and in home kitchens through the winter, a cheap, warming bowl tied tightly to the province's identity.
How to make Soupe aux pois
Serves: Serves 6
Ingredients
- 400g yellow split peas
- 150g salt pork or ham hock
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp savory or thyme
- 2 litres water
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Rinse the split peas and add to a pot with the salt pork, onion, carrots, bay leaf and water.
- Bring to a boil, skim, then simmer gently 2 to 2.5 hours until the peas break down.
- Remove the pork, shred any meat and return it to the pot.
- Season, adding water if too thick, and serve hot with crusty bread.
Editor tip. Do not salt heavily until the end; the salt pork seasons the pot and can easily push the soup too far.
The editor-picked rooms for Soupe aux pois in Montreal are still in research. Meanwhile, see the Montreal signature-dishes index or the Montreal food guide.