Cooking Time & Servings

Nebraska Barn Raising Split Pea Soup Recipe

You Will Also Need

  • 8 oz. sliced bacon (or meaty ham bone)
  • 6 cups chicken broth (48 oz.)
  • optional: 1-2 cups water or broth
  • optional: 1/4 cup sherry

Here's What You Do

  1. Thoroughly rinse and pick through the split peas.
  2. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces and sauté for 10 minutes in a pot until nearly crisp (or place ham bone in pot). Drain excess grease.
  3. Stir in contents of vegetable & seasoning packet, split peas, and 6 cups broth to pot.
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer covered 2.5 hours; stir occasionally.
  5. Just before serving add sherry, if desired.
    Soup may thicken as it cooks and/or rests, add optional water or broth to thin as desired.

Recipe Adaptations

Vegan

You will use the classic holy trinity of vegetable; onions, carrots, and celery, as a substitute for the meat in this variation recipe.

You Will Also Need:

  • 4 Tbsp. oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chopped (1 cup)
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced (1 cup)
  • 6 cups vegetable broth (48 oz.)
  • Optional: 1-2 Tbsp. liquid smoke, if desired

Here’s What You Do:

  1. Pick though the split peas. Remove discolored, shriveled peas and any foreign material. Rinse well.
  2. Sauté onions, carrots, celery, in oil in a 4-qt pot on medium heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in contents of the vegetable packet, split peas, and broth to the pot.
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If desired, add liquid smoke and simmer for 5 minutes before serving.

Slow Cooker

Recommended slow cooker size: 3-4 quart

Here’s What You Do:

  1. Thoroughly rinse and pick through the split peas.
  2. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces and sauté about 10 minutes in pan on stove
  3. Transfer bacon to bowl of slow cooker. Add contents of vegetable & seasoning packet, split peas, and broth to bowl.
  4. Cook on high, covered, 4-5 hours or low for about 8 hours.
  5. Just before serving add sherry, if desired.

Pressure Cooker

Here’s What You Do:

  1. Rinse, drain, and pick over peas.
  2. Cut bacon into ½ inch pieces. Using the Sauté setting, cook bacon for 5 minutes until nearly crisp.
  3. Add contents of Nebraska Barn raising Split Pea Soup Mix vegetable packet, peas, and broth to pot of pressure cooker.
  4. Set pressure cooker to 15 minutes of cook time at high pressure.
  5. Allow pressure to release naturally for at least 10 minutes for using the quick release.
  6. Just before serving add sherry, if desired.
  7. Optional: Top each bowl with croutons!

Recipe Variations

We don’t currently have a recipe variation for this soup, please send us yours!

Cooking & Nutrition Tips

Remember these are soup-starter mixes, you can’t go wrong! Feel free to omit any of our recommended additions and/or add any of your favorites!

  • To boost vegetables, add 1½ cups chopped leeks with soup mix, and/or 1½ cups fresh or frozen green beans or green peas in the final ten minutes of cooking.
  • To reduce sodium: use a low-sodium broth, bone broth, or stock.
  • For added protein: add a can of your favorite bean (black, chickpea, navy, etc), chicken breast, or other plant-based protein option.
  • For added nutrition: look in your fridge/garden and add any vegetables you have on hand!