Is Pea Soup Acidic or Alkaline?
Pea soup (prepared) is alkaline: Negative PRAL: alkalizing after digestion.
Classification
At −1.2 per 100 ml, pea soup is slightly alkaline. Its high water content strongly dilutes the protein from the legumes, leaving potassium from the peas and soup greens. With sausage or bacon added, the balance looks different: meat brings protein and phosphorus and quickly pushes the bowl toward plus. At 56 kcal per 100 ml, the soup itself stays light.
In the Meals & Fast Food category, pea soup (prepared) ranks #22 of 118, sorted from alkaline to acid-forming. More alkaline options include Tzatziki (−1.2), Vegetable soup (−1.4), Pea stew (−1.8). More acid-forming are Bean soup (−1.1), Onion soup (−1.0), Pumpkin soup (−1.0).
Acidic or alkaline: PRAL, not pH
On this site, acidic and alkaline refer to the PRAL (potential renal acid load). It estimates what a food leaves behind once it has been digested: a positive value is acid-forming, a negative value is alkalizing. That is different from the pH of the food itself: a lemon tastes sour, yet its PRAL is −4.0, so it is alkalizing. Your diet does not change your blood pH. It does change how much acid your kidneys have to deal with.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is pea soup acidic?
It depends on what you mean by acidic. The pH describes the food itself, for example how sour it tastes. The PRAL describes what it leaves behind after digestion: Pea soup (prepared) has a PRAL of −1.2 per 100 ml, so it counts as alkaline in your daily acid-base balance.
How much pea soup do I need for a noticeable effect?
A meal (300 g) of pea soup adds −3.5 to your daily balance. For comparison: an egg is around +5.4, a slice of cheese around +6. So one serving of pea soup roughly offsets one of them.
Why is pea soup alkaline even though it is not a typical alkaline food?
The PRAL depends on the minerals left over after digestion, not on taste or pH. Pea soup provides more potassium, magnesium and calcium than phosphorus and protein, so the balance is negative (−1.2).
Pea Soup logged, balance checked.
Basentracker adds up every meal automatically and shows whether your day is in the alkaline range. The same values as on this page, all 977 foods, photo scan, recipes.
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Compare all Meals & Fast Food: Meals & Fast Food table. Common questions are answered in Acidic or Alkaline?, and the PRAL calculator adds up a whole meal.
Source: Basentracker food database (PRAL according to Remer & Manz, calculated from protein, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and calcium per 100 g). This information does not replace medical advice.