Reviewed: Dec. 9, 2008

This was so tasty, I didn't have frozen peas, but I did have frozen corn so I used that and blended and it was wonderful!

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MomWhoCooks

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada

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Reviewed: Aug. 18, 2008

I've no clue what Mexican-seasoned black beans are, so I used regular canned black beans, and added some ground cumin, garlic, and a pinch of chipotle powder. Because I like my soups quite chunky, I pureed half of it, then mixed it together again. I admit I was a bit skeptical (coconut milk and peas?!), but it was actually pretty good. Thanks!

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Caroline C

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Sep. 23, 2007

This is a delightful soup and very easy to make! I found this recipe while looking for an idea of what to make with some excess black beans (from dry) I had made for some empanadas. I do agree with the other reviews that it is best used as a base. Since this was a last minute addition to my meal and I did not have the peas on hand, I used extra black beans (I think this may have been an aesthetic improvement as I noticed some of the other reviews stated that it had an odd color that I did not notice) and did add some of the leftover sauteed onions I had already made (seasoned with cumin, chili powder and a pinch of cinnamon). I used vegetable broth rather than a chicken stock to make it a vegetarian soup and I threw in a few dashes of corn meal to thicken it up a little. Then, I took the suggestion from previous reviewer and added some sauteed mushrooms along with about a tablespoon of chili powder and some minced garlic to spice it up some. Finally, I topped it with chopped fresh cilantro and squeezed some of the excess lime juice right on top before serving (feta or cotija cheese or even some creme friache would have also been a good garnish for this soup if I'd had some). My family loved it and it went really well with the black bean and cheese empanadas. Thanks!

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Mamamara

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Medford, Oregon, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 19, 2007

I made this recipe once as is (but with plain black beans), and it was fairly bland, so this time I took other reviewers' suggestions and added cumin, cayenne, Cajun seasoning, and garlic, and I used vegetable broth, and it was much better. I liked the flavor better before I blended it, though. Before it was blended, I could really taste the coconut, but the peas overpowered the coconut once the soup was pureed. Plus, I wasn't crazy about the texture--there were lots of pea husks. Next time, I'll blend the soup before adding the peas. Bonus points for simplicity and ease of preparation.

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Reviewer:

KymInNM

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Central Point, Oregon, USA

Living In: Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 3, 2007

I made this recipe because it happened to contain the ingredients I had on hand, but I definitely approached with a great deal of skepticism. I was pleasantly surprised with the taste, but it does need the extra kick that previous reviewers have suggested (eg: cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic). I tossed in some roughly shredded coconut at the end, but I don't know that I would recommend that to others. As has been previously remarked, the colour of the soup is quite off-putting, but give it a try- I plan to make it again.

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McDiddly

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Reviewed: Jul. 8, 2007

This soup is really a great base to start with, but I make mine as suggested by the #1 review. Saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms, use broth instead of water. Spice with 1/4t ground cumin and cayenne, 1 bay leaf. Dash chili powder, sweet basil, thyme.

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Athena

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Reviewed: Feb. 5, 2007

Not a good choice for kids. I included some of the suggestions made by other reviewers (cumin and other spices, whole beans and chopped onion) and the soup was very tasty. But the kids had a field day with the soup's unconventional appearance, making all sorts of remarks not suited to dinner conversation and ruining even MY hardened appetite. Given the right grade-school boy crowd, however, this one could be a big hit: serve Kitty Litter Cake for dessert, and don't forget the white porcelain tureen! Bonus points if you're out of paper napkins and have to make a substitution.

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NOSEWIPER

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Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2007

I really, really liked the unusual flavor of this soup but hubby wasn't completely won over. I am out of broth so I added a tbp or so of chicken base to 2 cups of warm water. I did take Beaner's suggestion to add cayenne, cumin & mninced garlic & I let this simmer longer than called for, to really fuse the flavors. Wasn't sure whether I should drain my beans so I did just in case. I used my immersion blender to puree. (If you do soups, you gotta get one!) I swirled a bit of cream in the bowls then ran a knife through the cream to add a little interest. My one complaint w/ the soup? It's not a very appetizing color so it's not something I would serve to guests. I served this as a first course to jerk-seasoned pork medallions w/ Spicy Pineapple Sauce (from allrecipes), jasmine rice w/ chopped bell peppers & coconut lime sorbet for dessert.

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Reviewer:

IMVINTAGE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Living In: Keller, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2006

Wow, I must of done something wrong because this turned out terrible. I followed directions to the T. If you don't love split pea soup, don't bother.

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Reviewer:

skessel

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Reviewed: Aug. 25, 2006

I too made this from dry beans with my own spices, otherwise I followed the recipe as posted. This soup is fantastic! My favorite soup to date. My hubby who is not a soup person asked for seconds and to take some to work for lunch the next day. This soup is going to be a regular at our table.

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Reviewer:

Sassinator

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Reviewed: Apr. 11, 2006

This is an excellent soup! As a base, I'd give it 5 stars. However, stand alone, unless you like the flatter side of foods, small adjustments to this recipe are warrented. In my second batch I used black beans from dry and added 1/4 tsp crushed cumin seed, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 2 1/2 cloves (1 1/2 tsp) minced garlic, and a 1/4 tsp of cajun seasoning. Redundent? It was WONDERFUL. I'd also strongly recommend using the chicken stock. Finally, I threw 5 sliced medium button mushrooms, an extra (1) cup of black beans (after the blending) and 1/2 cup chopped onions for added body and mouth feel. The recipe as is is very good and it WIDE OPEN for your own added tastes.

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Reviewer:

Beaner

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Feb. 3, 2006

This soup is quite good but I think could be even tastier with additional spices. I started by sauteeing chopped onion and carrot and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. I think the recipe could use some other spices as well.

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BENCAMZOE

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Havertown, Pennsylvania, USA

Living In: Paoli, Pennsylvania, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 31, 2006

Even better than expected! Preparing the recipe as written results in a very tasty soup, there is also a lot of room for customization. My husband suggested adding some spiciness to it; I would also like to try adding some more texture after the base is pureed.

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