Downton Abbey’s Split Pea Soup – Mrs. Patmore’s gourmet take on classic split pea and ham soup served at the house.
Depending on where you are in the world, you may be watching Downton Abbey seasons five or six. The beloved British drama chronicles the lives of the fictional Crawley family—Earl and Countess of Grantham—and their household staff, following events and social change in the years after 1912.
Highclere Castle in north Hampshire stands in for the fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton Abbey and provides the series with its unmistakable atmosphere and period detail.
Alongside the upstairs drama, the series pays careful attention to life downstairs. The kitchen, servants’ hall and servants’ quarters are settings for many intimate moments and practical, everyday drama. Mrs. Patmore, the head cook, is a central figure in that world: she prepares impressive meals for the family and guests and often negotiates tradition and change in her approach to food. One of the soups associated with Mrs. Patmore is split pea soup, a hearty and simple dish that suits both the humbler staff table and the grand dining room.
The recipe here is adapted from “The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook – From Lady Mary’s Crab Canapés to Mrs. Patmore’s Christmas Pudding,” by Emily Ansara Baines. I made a small adaptation because I did not have a ham bone available; the result uses cubed ham. This version uses green split peas, which give the soup a familiar, comforting colour and texture.
As the cookbook notes, using yellow split peas would create a slightly different appearance and would be traditionally nicknamed a “London particular” after the thick yellow smogs that once characterised the city before mid-20th century clean air regulations.
These recipes invite a bit of role-playing: for a day you might imagine life upstairs as a lady of the house, and the next day, life downstairs as a lady’s maid. The split pea soup is an excellent example of a dish that crosses social boundaries—simple ingredients prepared carefully can feed many and please diverse tastes.
- 2 cups cubed ham
- 3 Tbsp oil
- 1 1/3 cup onion chopped
- 4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
- 6 cups water
- 3 cups dry split peas
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp dry thyme
- 2 leaves bay
- 2 cups carrots cubed
- 1 cup celery root cubed, or 2 cups celery stalks
- 1 1/2 cup potato cubed
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In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and fry the cubed ham until it begins to brown. Remove the ham from the pot and set it aside, leaving any rendered fat in the pan for flavor.
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Add the chopped onions to the pot and sauté until they are translucent and soft, about 5–7 minutes. This builds a savory base for the soup.
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Pour in the vegetable or chicken stock and the water and bring the liquid to a boil. Stir in the split peas, minced garlic, thyme and bay leaves. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 45 minutes, or until the split peas have broken down and begun to form a thick, creamy base.
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Return the browned ham to the pot and add the cubed carrots, celery root (or celery stalks) and potatoes. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, roughly 25–30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
This split pea soup is forgiving and adaptable. If you prefer a smoother texture, you can puree part of the finished soup with an immersion blender, leaving some chunks for texture. Leftovers keep well and often taste even better the next day, when the flavors have had more time to meld. Serve with crusty bread or toasted croutons for a satisfying meal that evokes the comforting, no-nonsense cooking of a great country house kitchen.