034 / 75 · Beans, Lentils and Chickpeas

Creamy Split Peas with Wilted Spinach

2 main-meal bowls of creamy split peas and spinach, each with 50 g bread · Active 25 min · Total 1 hr 55 min

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Green split peas need a real simmering window to become creamy. The recipe lets them soften with onion and carrot before folding in spinach and a small amount of tahini. Lemon is added only when the peas are tender. Bread completes two generous bowls, and the long cooking time is visible in the plan rather than hidden behind a promise of a quick legume dinner.

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Original hand-drawn illustration of creamy split peas with wilted spinach.

Watch the base as it thickens

Sort and rinse the dry split peas, then keep the pot at a quiet simmer rather than an aggressive boil. Older peas may take longer than the packet suggests. Stir across the entire base more often once the mixture thickens; a dry patch at the bottom can scorch while liquid still shows on top. Keep plain hot drinking water nearby and add it in small amounts if the peas are not yet soft. The finished texture should slump from a spoon, with no chalky centers. Do not add lemon early and then treat a slow-softening batch as proof that it is ready.

Fold leaves through a cooked base

Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop very long stems so the leaves distribute more evenly. Add it only after the peas are tender, stirring until the leaves wilt and the mixture is hot through. Tahini should be stirred in its jar before measuring because oil can separate on the surface. Its measured spoonfuls add a little richness and sesame flavor without needing cream. Mix it with lemon and a little hot pea mixture in a small bowl first, then return that smooth blend to the pan. Adjust thickness with plain water if necessary. This is a pulse-and-grain meal rather than a side spoonful: divide the complete batch and bread between two people, or calculate a different portion honestly.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup dry green split peas (150 g), sorted and rinsed
  • 1 small onion, finely diced (80 g)
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and finely diced (100 g prepared)
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced (3 g)
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml/about 9 g)
  • 1 small rosemary sprig, needles finely chopped (1 g edible)
  • 3 3/4 cups drinking water (900 ml), plus up to 300 ml extra as needed
  • About 5 cups fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped (150 g)
  • 2 tablespoons plain roasted-sesame tahini, well stirred (30 g)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (30 ml/about 30 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (0.3 g)
  • 4 thin slices whole-wheat bread (100 g total)

Set out

3-litre/3-quart heavy saucepan with lid, Fine sieve, Long-handled wooden spoon, Small heatproof bowl, Knife and board, Kitchen scale, Kettle for extra water, 2 bowls

Allergens

Sesame, Wheat; bread may contain soy, milk or other allergens—check its label. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat oil in the saucepan over medium-low heat. Soften onion and carrot for 6–7 minutes, stirring. Add garlic and chopped rosemary and stir for 30 seconds.
  2. Add rinsed split peas and 900 ml water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid partly on. Cook for 55–75 minutes, or longer if needed, stirring increasingly often as the peas thicken. Add the extra hot drinking water a little at a time if the base gets dry before the peas soften.
  3. When peas are completely tender with no chalky centers, stir in spinach and cook for 3–4 minutes until wilted and hot through. Add salt and pepper.
  4. Stir tahini and lemon in the small bowl with 2–3 spoonfuls of hot pea mixture until smooth, then fold back into the saucepan. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes and adjust with any remaining extra water to a thick spoonable consistency. Divide into 2 bowls and serve each with 50 g measured bread.

A useful kitchen skill

Stir the whole bottom of a thickening pulse dish and use water to keep it cooking until tender, rather than mistaking thickness for complete cooking.

A useful detail

The 115-minute total allows a long split-pea simmer and regular stirring; particularly old peas may take longer. There is no cream in the base: split peas and stirred sesame paste provide its texture.

Another way

  • Replace spinach with 150 g chopped chard leaves, cooking until fully tender and calculating for chard; remove thick stems for another meal.
  • Use 30 g unsalted smooth peanut butter in place of tahini only if suitable for the eater, acknowledging the peanut allergen and changed estimate.

Keep it well

Refrigerate promptly in shallow containers at 40°F/4°C or below within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Use within 3 days. Reheat the needed portion to 165°F/74°C throughout, stirring along the base and loosening with drinking water; split peas thicken markedly when cold. Keep bread separately.