Canadian National Dishes

Soupe aux pois à la québécoise

This Québec-style yellow pea soup is thick, savoury and filling, with tender split peas, small pieces of salt pork and a quiet note of summer savoury. This practical home version draws on documented Québec preparations while allowing for the family variations that are part of the dish: cooks may choose whole or split peas, different cuts of salted pork, salted herbs or extra vegetables.

Canadian National Dishes
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Wide tabletop view of Québec yellow pea soup with pork and vegetables beside bread and a wooden spoon.
A wide serving scene pairs the soup with simple bread.
Prep 30 minutes
Cook About 130 minutes
Total About 650 minutes (10 hours 50 minutes)
Calories About 300 kcal per portion
Ingredients ↓
Overview

Soupe aux pois à la québécoise

Soupe aux pois has a long place in Québec home cooking, and historical accounts describe it as everyday food in some households and logging camps. Recipes differ from family to family. This version uses dried yellow split peas, salt pork and savoury vegetables, simmered until thick and spoonable. A brief blanch of the pork moderates some of its salt before it goes into the pot; it is a practical adjustment rather than a claim about every traditional method.

Practical

Practical

  • Soak the peas in the refrigerator, then drain and rinse them for a clean start.
  • Blanch the salt pork briefly and hold back added salt until the soup is finished; salt pork varies widely.
  • Keep the pot at a gentle simmer, stirring regularly so the peas do not catch on the bottom.
  • Stop cooking when most peas collapse easily and the soup is thick but still spoonable; add hot water if it becomes too dense.
Ingredients

Ingredients

Soup

  • 450 g dried yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
  • 150 g salt pork belly, diced into 1 cm pieces
  • 200 g yellow onion, finely diced
  • 120 g carrot, finely diced
  • 100 g celery, finely diced
  • 2.2 L water, plus more as needed

Seasoning

  • 2 g dried summer savoury
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 g freshly ground black pepper
  • Up to 3 g fine salt, only if needed after tasting
Directions

Directions

Method

  1. Soak the peasCover the picked-over, rinsed peas with plenty of cool water and soak for 8 hours in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse them. Do not use the soaking water as the soup water.

  2. Blanch the salt porkPut the diced pork in a small saucepan, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse. The brief blanch moderates salt; the amount removed depends on the pork.

  3. Start the flavour baseIn a heavy 5 L pot over medium heat, cook the blanched pork for 3 minutes to render a little fat. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until glossy but not browned.

  4. Simmer the peasAdd the drained peas and 2.2 L water. Bring to a boil and skim the foam. Lower to a gentle simmer; add the savoury, bay leaf and pepper. Partially cover and simmer for 100–115 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes and adding hot water as needed, until the peas collapse easily and the soup is thick but spoonable.

  5. Adjust the textureRemove the bay leaf. Mash a ladleful of peas against the side of the pot and stir them back in, leaving some peas and pork pieces whole. Taste before adding any salt. Simmer for 5 more minutes and serve the soup steaming hot.

  6. Rest and serveLet the soup stand for 10 minutes, then serve hot. Bread or potato cakes are optional. Cool leftovers promptly in shallow containers.

Practical

Practical

Serving

Keep the peas soaking in the refrigerator, and keep raw pork separate from ready-to-eat food. Wash hands, utensils and work surfaces after handling the pork. The soup thickens as it stands; loosen portions with hot water or unsalted stock when serving. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, keep them at or below 4°C and use within 3 days or freeze. Reheat soup while stirring to a full rolling boil; when checking a thick serving with a thermometer, it should reach 74°C throughout. Discard reheated portions that are not eaten. Salted herbs, whole yellow peas, ham hock and different vegetables appear in other family versions; changing them changes the salt and nutrition estimates.

Nutrition

Nutrition

  • Serving sizeAbout 400 ml
  • CaloriesAbout 300 kcal
  • CarbohydrateAbout 38 g
  • ProteinAbout 15 g
  • FatAbout 11 g
  • FibreAbout 15 g
  • SodiumAbout 650 mg

Rounded ingredient-based estimate for one eighth of the batch. Salt-pork sodium varies substantially by product; optional bread and any added salt are not included. This is not a laboratory analysis.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens and food safety

No priority allergens are intentionally included in the soup. Check the salt-pork label and any optional bread for declared allergens or cross-contact. Soak peas in the refrigerator, keep raw pork cold and separate, and wash hands and surfaces after handling it. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, store at or below 4°C and use within 3 days or freeze. Reheat while stirring to a full rolling boil; check a thick portion reaches 74°C throughout. Avoid holding soup between 4°C and 60°C. When reheating, stir the soup to a full rolling boil and check a thick serving in several places with a clean thermometer; it must reach 74°C throughout.

Closing notes

Closing notes

  • Add salt only after tasting, since salt pork can vary considerably.
  • Serve with bread or potato cakes for a more substantial meal.