Nostalgia & History > Split Pea Soup in the Diner

The youngest daughter asked for Split Pea Soup, so I took it as an excuse to peruse the railroad cookbooks I've got. Below are the different versions. Again, the PRR comes in last. I'll probably make some version of the SP and UP ones, but with the Rector ideas of putting the onion and bay in the soaking water and finishing it with a little mint.


Southern Pacific 1922
PUREE OF SPLIT PEAS
Blanch the peas and wash well, then cover with water, boil with ham bones, piece of salt pork, onion with cloves, carrots and garlic. When done, season, strain, and bring to the right consistency, adding little butter. Serve in tureen with croutons, rice or sago.

Southern Pacific 1952
PEAS, SPLIT, PUREE OF
Wash split peas and soak in cold water over night. Drain, cover with beef stock, add some ham shanks, put on the fire and bring to boil. Slice onions, carrots, celery and turnips. Braise in butter and add to soup. Let boil slowly until done. Remove ham bone, thicken lightly, with roux and force through strainer. Salt and season. Garnish with croutons with serving.

The Rector Cookbook Compliments of The Milwaukee Road 1928
SPLIT PEA SOUP
2 cups split peas
2 quarts cold water
1 small onion, finely chopped
½ small bay leave
2 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
Few grains pepper
Finely chopped mint (optional)
Wash peas and soak in water with onion and bay leaf over night. Next morning cook gently for 2 to 3 hours until peas are soft enough to sieve. Rub through a coarse sieve; add milk, butter, salt and pepper. Reheat. Spring each portion with finely chopped mint.

Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad 1960
GREEN SPLIT PEA SOUP
The following ingredients: dry green peas (soaked in cold water), onions, celery, bay leaves and peppercorns. Saute in margarine, onions, peas, celery and ham hock. Add a beef stock. Season and cook until peas are done. Strain and add cream to be smooth and tasty.

C&O Dining Car Recipes – Hangar
GREEN SPLIT PEA SOUP
½ Cup of Lard
2 Medium sized Onions, sliced
2 Medium sized carrots, sliced
3 stems of Celery
2 Bay leaves
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
4 Cups of green split peas, mashed in cold water
1 Gallon of Water
4 Tablespoons of Chicken base
1 Smoked Ham Bone
1 Cup of Cream
1 Tablespoon of Butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat lard in pan, add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic. Simmer for five minutes do not allow to brown, add water, chicken base, and bring to a boil. Add peas and ham bone, salt and pper. Simmer until peas are well done. Check seasoning. Remove ham bone and bay leaves and strain. Add cream and butter. Serve with buttered croutons.


Union Pacific
PUREE OF SPLIT PEA
2 lbs. of green split peas
3 Carrots
3 Large stalks of celery
4 Onions
1 Ham knuckle
Braise the vegetables which have been coarsely chopped with the ham knuckle, 4 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 clove of garlic in small amount of shortening until tender, then add washed split peas and 2 gallons of veal or chicken stock and ½ gallon of water. Boil until peas are well done, slightly thicken with a roux of butter and flour. Season with salt and pepper, strain through Chinese strainer. Serve with croutons.


Pennsylvania Railroad
Cream of Green Pea Soup
Ingredients:
‘½ cup of butter
4 medium size white onions ( peeled, washed and sliced)
¾ cup flour
3 No. 2 cans peas
3/ ½ quarts of good stock (beef, veal or chicken). Seasoning of salt and pepper.

Preparation: Saute onions in butter for about ten minutes; add flour and mix well and cook slowly for another fifteen minutes. Next add peas together with their liquor and stock; add seasoning of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and allow to cook for 45 minutes. Strain through china cap.

If Cream of Peas is on your menus add to the finished soup one cup of cream. Do not allow the soup to boil after the cream has been added.

Love that C&O with half cup lard. I take it all of this was done on the dining car and not back at the "commissary".

Do any groups serve dining car meals as a fund raiser? I am aware of EL Dining Car Group, but I was thinking other preservation groups hosting meals not in a dining car, but at the museum or local fire hall.

Recipe's are for the young at heart esp the C & O.

Bob Jordan

I have to do the C&O version. But for chrissakes, don't tell my cardiologist

John Gezelius
Tustin, CA

After reading your posting I did a Google Search for Railroad split pea soup. I got a number of interesting websites but perhaps the most interesting was Google Books page 357 of “The History and Recipes of Americas Golden Age of Railroad Cuisine” by James D. Porterfield.

http://books.google.com/books?id=wfHPhP0HLLEC&pg=PA357&lpg=PA357&dq=Railroad+split+pea+soup&source=bl&ots=MO98gillew&sig=NZg_ACMsiG8-4DvhDj2fB2uvx3E&hl=en&sa=X&ei=N1qxUL2bOKbyyAGLyYGYBg&ved=0CC4Q6AEwADgU#v=onepage&q=Railroad%20split%20pea%20soup&f=false

On page 357 and 358 [scroll down] is a listing of The Railroad And Their Cuisines from Alaska to New York Central. Page 359 which must contain the listings beyond New York Central is not part of the book preview.

If you click on the icon of the book cover on the left hand side of the above webpage you will go to a large picture of the book cover and from this you can scroll down and read the Table of Contents. If you continue to scroll down you can read the book preview of some of the pages with recipes.

> don't tell my cardiologist

That's funny! "Pork fat rules", as somebody on TV used to say.

Mention "split pea soup" to a Californian, and you're likely to bring up memories of travel on US 101 and stopping at Andersen's for a bowl of their signature soup. After eating, one might buy one of their cartoon postcards with the two fellows (who may have been inspired by Laurel and Hardy) "Splitting Peas for Split Pea Soup" with a hammer and chisel.