Split Peas

Green or yellow and the difference is smaller than people think. Green tastes a little sweeter and grassier, yellow is milder and earthier, and they cook in the same time. Buy from a store with decent turnover, because peas that have sat around for a couple years take way longer to soften and sometimes never fully do. Rinse them in a fine-mesh strainer and pick through for the occasional pebble before they hit the pot. Dried split peas keep about a year airtight in the pantry and cooked split peas hold 4–5 days in the fridge or freeze for 3 months (the soup actually gets better on day two). I think a ham bone or a couple smoked ham hocks is non-negotiable for green split pea soup, and I save every ham bone in the freezer for exactly this.

Split peas are the fastest route from dried legume to dinner because they skip the overnight soak entirely: rinse, simmer, done. Use a 1:4 ratio of peas to water, bring it to a boil, then drop to a low simmer for 45–60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so because they love to stick and scorch on the bottom. Don't fight the mush. Split peas are supposed to break down into a thick, creamy texture, so if you want peas that hold their shape, you want whole dried peas, not split.