Split pea
Mitchelle Phetlhe | Tuesday June 30, 2026 11:32
They are a brilliant local brand, so you already know the quality is top-tier, but it is only when you are unpacking the bags at home that the reality hit me. Dried peas have simply never been a standard pantry staple for my kitchen.
Unlike frozen peas that you can carelessly throw into a fried rice or a pasta dish at the very last minute to add a pop of colour, dried peas demand a certain level of, dedication, and administrative patience.
You have to commit to the soaking ritual, plan your day around the boiling time, and honestly, after putting in all that domestic labour, you expect a big return on your investment.
That was exactly the predicament facing me in the kitchen this week. A handful of these went into a bowl of water to soak, and by late afternoon, they were bubbling away on the stove. An hour into the boiling process, a sudden wave of panic set in because there was absolutely no end goal in sight.
When you are standing over a pot of boiling legumes with no blueprint, you have to stop, take a breath, and let culinary intuition take over. That is when the lightbulb switched on: pea soup. It is a timeless classic, a comforting hug in a bowl, and the ultimate reward for all that soaking and boiling admin.
The flavour profiling started immediately in my mind. To elevate the earthy undertones of the peas, a trip to the spice rack obviously led straight to Hinds The Strong One spices, which are the perfect choice to balance out the natural sweetness of the peas.
Once those peas were beautifully tender, I set them aside while a rich, aromatic veggie base of sautéed onions and hearty potatoes was built into the pot.
The cooked peas were reintroduced to the mix, and the hand blender came out to blitz everything into a velvety, thick consistency. A brilliant trick to elevate a simple soup from basic to gourmet is leaving a generous cup of whole cooked peas out of the blender, stirring them back into the smooth purée at the very end to create a wonderful contrast in texture.
The final result was magnificent, boasting bold, deep flavours that felt like a win. A few thick slices of Ouma bread were grilled to golden, crispy perfection, ready to mop up every single drop of that vibrant green goodness.
As any parent knows, the true test of a meal does not happen at the stove; it happens at the dinner table. No sooner had the soup been ladled into bowls than the drama commenced.
Big brother came into the kitchen, scanned the countertops with an analytical eye, and there it was, a theatrical, soul-crushing complaint.
He looked at the vibrant green pot and declared that he was absolutely not eating soup, demanding to know what else was available and asking with deep betrayal why there was a sudden need to experiment in the kitchen.
It is exhausting , parenting when children grow up and suddenly become incredibly expressive, choosey, and vocal about their meal boundaries.
When they like questioning your kitchen experiments just to escape a wholesome meal, you know you are dealing with a seasoned negotiator.
Meanwhile, the little one was mini-quarantined in a separate bedroom with a small, stubborn cough. In a tactical move, it was crucial to deliver the dinner terms to him directly before his older brother could intercept him and form a united sibling resistance pact against the green soup.
He initially agreed to the meal, but the moment the small bowl was placed in front of him, his face dropped completely. The vibrant, unapologetic green colour of a pea soup can be incredibly stqetling to a child who prefers their food neutral.
He began with a classic stalling tactic: eating the grilled bread first and stirring the soup around his bowl over and over again m. Recognizing the hesitation, Dr mom gave a quick lecture on the health benefits of the soup, then I gave him the phone to Google to further emphasise how the warm, nutrient-dense broth would soothe his sniffles and help his small cough clear up.
After what looked like an agonizing internal conflict, he finally dipped his spoon in the soup and nibbled a drop off the very tip of the spoon. But then, something beautiful happened. The next scoop was a bit bigger.
Then after a few moments of quiet chewing, he looked up and exclaimed Mom this is actually really nice. To have a child look past an unappealing colour and a totally unfamiliar texture to genuinely appreciate bold, well-spiced flavours is the ultimate validation for any home cook.
He ate half of is bowl of soup, proving that a solid flavour foundation can win over even the most sceptical little critics. Returning to the kitchen, big brother was still standing guard, waiting to see if his hunger strike would yield a secondary, more appealing dinner option.
With a straight face, he claimed he had tasted the soup while the kitchen was empty and simply did not like it. I couldn’t believe him because from the very beginning; he had set his mind against the soup the second he laid eyes on it.
He ultimately settled for a simple dinner of tea and bread, holding onto the wishful thinking that a backup meal would miraculously appear. It is a hilarious, stubborn battle of wills, but a successful kitchen experiment is always worth the pushback.
INGREDIENTS 2 cups A Star dried peas 6 cups water for boiling 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 2 tablespoons cooking oil 1 teaspoon Hinds The Strong One Origanum 1 teaspoon Hinds The Strong One Cayenne Pepper 1 teaspoon Hinds The Strong One White Pepper 1 vegetable stock cube Salt and black pepper to taste 1 Ouma loaf of crusty bread, sliced thick for grilling
INSTRUCTIONS Rinse the dried peas thoroughly under cold running water to remove any debris. Place the rinsed peas into a large bowl, cover them completely with water, and leave them to soak for at least four hours or overnight. Drain the soaking water and transfer the plumped peas into a large pot, pouring in six cups of fresh water. Bring the pot to a rolling boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the flame slightly and let the peas simmer for about one hour until they are completely soft and tender. Remove the pot from the heat, scoop out one cup of the whole cooked peas to save for texture later, and set the remaining peas and their cooking liquid aside. In a separate clean pot, heat the cooking oil over medium heat and add the finely chopped yellow onion, sautéing until it becomes soft and translucent. Toss the diced potatoes into the pot with the onions, stirring them around to coat them beautifully Add the Hinds spice white pepper, Origanum, cayenne pepper to the veggies, letting the spices toast in the heat for one minute until your kitchen smells incredibly aromatic followed by a cup of water. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, covering the pot and letting it cook for fifteen minutes until the diced potatoes are completely fork-tender. Take the pot off the stove and use a hand blender to blitz the soup thoroughly until it transforms into a thick, smooth, and velvety purée. Season the soup with an extra pinch of salt and cracked black pepper according to your personal taste preference. Heat a grill pan or toaster to toast your large slices of bread until they are beautifully golden and crunchy. Hopefully, this tale of kitchen defiance inspires you to tackle that forgotten bag of peas in your pantry! If you decide to recreate this vibrant dish, let me know. What are your favourite Hinds spice combinations to warm up a chilly evening? I would love to hear how your own kitchen experiments turn out!