Greek Soups
Louvana Recipe (Cypriot Dried Pea Soup)
Λουβάνα loo-VAH-nah · Louvana
In short
Louvana is a traditional Cypriot soup of dried yellow split peas, simmered slowly with onion and olive oil until they break down into a thick, warming, naturally filling soup. It is genuinely old, simple Lenten fare, distinct from Greece's better known fava, Santorini's yellow split pea puree, though both share a similar base ingredient.
Louvana is genuinely old, simple Cypriot cooking, dried yellow peas simmered slowly with little more than onion and good olive oil until they break down into a thick, warming soup, the kind of everyday Lenten dish that needed no meat, no dairy and very few ingredients to still be properly filling.
It shares a family resemblance with Santorini's fava, both being soups or purees built from dried yellow split peas, but the two are genuinely distinct dishes: fava is traditionally puréed smooth and often topped with capers and raw onion, while louvana stays looser and soupier, closer to a rustic pulse soup than a refined puree.
The technique needs almost nothing beyond patience, letting the peas simmer long enough to soften completely and naturally thicken the liquid around them, finished simply with a generous drizzle of good olive oil at the table.
Key preparation steps
- Rinse the dried peas well.
- Simmer slowly with onion until completely soft.
- Mash lightly to thicken, if you like.
- Finish with olive oil and lemon at the table.
The peas
Rinse the dried yellow split peas well and pick over for any small stones, then simmer in plenty of water with a whole onion for around fifty minutes to an hour, until completely soft and starting to break down on their own.
Thickening
Remove and discard the onion, then mash the soup lightly with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, just enough to thicken it further without turning it into a completely smooth puree, keeping some texture rather than going as far as fava's refined smoothness.
Finishing
Season with salt, and finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of good olive oil and a squeeze of lemon at the table, which lifts the soup's naturally earthy, simple character.
Tips from my kitchen
Give the peas the full cooking time
They need to break down properly to thicken the soup naturally. Undercooked peas leave a thin, watery soup rather than a properly hearty one.
Do not over-mash
Louvana is traditionally looser and soupier than fava's smooth puree. A light mash keeps some texture rather than turning it into something else entirely.
Finish generously with olive oil
This simple dish depends on a good final drizzle to lift its otherwise plain, earthy character.
Louvana Recipe (Cypriot Dried Pea Soup)
Λουβάνα · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 10m
- Cook
- 1h
- Total
- 1h 10m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the split peas well and pick over for any small stones.
- Put the peas, whole onion and water into a pot.
- Bring to a simmer, skimming off any foam, then cover and cook gently for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until completely soft.
- Remove and discard the onion.
- Mash the soup lightly with the back of a spoon, keeping some texture rather than making it fully smooth.
- Season with salt.
- Serve hot, with a generous drizzle of olive oil and lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Sat fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Louvana
What is the difference between louvana and fava?
Both are Greek dishes built from dried yellow split peas, but fava, from Santorini, is traditionally puréed smooth, while louvana, a Cypriot soup, stays looser and soupier, with more texture.
Is louvana vegan?
Yes, made simply from split peas, onion, water and olive oil, it is entirely plant-based, which is exactly why it suited Lenten fasting so well.
Can you make louvana ahead?
Yes, and it thickens further as it sits, so you may want to loosen it with a little hot water when reheating.
