Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup is richly flavored, thick, and creamy– and loaded with veggies, split peas, and tender shredded ham. This humble-looking soup is anything but humble tasting!

No ham? No problem! Try this Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe instead.

Split Pea Soup

There are few better ways to use your leftover holiday ham bone than in a split pea soup!

And even without one, you can enjoy a seriously tasty split pea soup. We don’t save this recipe to enjoy only after the holidays — we eat it pretty much year-round (okay, maybe not in the peak of summer!).

This soup is economical (especially with a leftover ham bone) and loaded with good nutritious ingredients. It’s hearty and filling and loaded with protein. In fact, did you know that split peas are a fantastic source of plant-based protein? Score!

What Are Split Peas?

Green split peas are simply dried peas that have been cut in half (hence the “split” part of the name). This means they’ll cook a lot faster and don’t need to soak overnight.

Split peas absorb the surrounding flavors of a dish, making them a great canvas for a recipe. They do have a slightly earthy flavor with a subtle sweetness (just like sweet green peas do). 

When they are cooked for a long period of time (like in this Split Pea Soup recipe), they become very tender resulting in a creamy texture that also nicely thickens the soup.

Let’s Chat Ham

There are a few options for the ham in Split Pea Soup. Try to get a ham bone with as much meat as possible — not only does this deliver more flavor in the soup, but it also means you’ll have more shredded meat in the final dish.

• Leftover ham bone: If you’ve baked a holiday ham, save the bone (and leave a good amount of meat on it) for this soup. If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, you can always ask the butcher in the grocery store for leftover ham bones.
• Ham hocks: If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, ham hocks are the next best option. Ham hocks are the ham bone so these too are already smoked (cooked through). These are usually sold in the meat section of the store, or can be found in the deli. If you can’t find them, use a grocery locator app or ask the butcher in the store.
• Adding extra meat: If your leftover ham bone is fairly bare or the ham hock(s) are less than 1-3/4 pounds, you’ll probably want some extra ham in the soup. You may also need to add some extra chicken bouillon powder or salt to the broth to ensure there is enough flavor. If you decide the soup will need extra ham, add some shredded or diced ham to the soup about 10 minutes before serving, since the ham won’t need actual cooking.

Split Pea Soup Serving Suggestions

There is nothing quite like some crusty warm bread for dunking in this soup! In fact, my boys won’t even use spoons when they eat it — ha! Add some softened butter on some warmed bread and go to town. Otherwise, some croutons (homemade or store-bought) topping this soup would also be nice.

As far as other sides go, this Caesar Salad, Garden Salad, or Italian Salad would all be nice complementary additions to the dinner table.

Split Pea Soup Notes

• The cooking time can vary a lot, depending on a few factors like the pot you’re cooking the soup in, the actual temperature of the stovetop, the specific split peas you’re using, and personal preference. A few cues to look for: the ham should shred off the bone very easily and the peas should be tender.
• How tender should the peas be? The peas only need to be cooked until they’re tender, but if you prefer a creamier/smoother texture, continue cooking until the peas soften and begin to fall apart. Err on the cautious side; if the soup seems too thick, add in some water/broth and remove from heat. (You can always put the pot back on the heat if you decide you want the peas more tender or the soup thicker.)
• We recommend a pot with a heavy bottom: That way, you won’t need to be as concerned with the split peas scorching on the bottom (which they have a tendency to do!)

Split Pea Soup FAQs

More Soup Recipes

• Lentil Soup packed with veggies
• White Bean Soup with basil pesto
• Easy Tomato Soup using canned tomatoes
• Butternut Squash Soup with roasted pepitas
• Minestrone Soup with pasta

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5 from 1 vote

Split Pea Soup

By Chelsea Lords

Split Pea Soup is richly flavored, thick, creamy, and loaded with veggies, split peas, and tender shredded ham. This humble-looking soup is anything but humble tasting!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups finely diced onion (~2 medium onions)
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced carrot (~2-3 large carrots)
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced celery (~3-4 stalks)
• ▢ Fine sea salt & pepper Note 1
• ▢ 1 tablespoon minced garlic (~4 cloves)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• ▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1-1/2 cups dried split peas, rinsed Note 2
• ▢ 2 small bay leaves (or 1 large)
• ▢ 1 meaty ham bone or ham hocks Note 3
• ▢ 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ Optional: fresh thyme leaves, crusty buttered bread for serving, additional diced ham

Instructions 

• VEGGIES AND SPLIT PEAS: In a large (5.5 quart or larger) heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt/pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper). Cook until vegetables are softened and onion is beginning to turn golden, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, cumin, thyme, red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add in rinsed split peas and mix through.
• COOK: Add ham bone, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, for 60-90 minutes (Note 4), stirring occasionally so the peas don't catch on the bottom of the pot. Cook until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. You'll want to stir a bit more frequently as the soup begins to thicken. Add a splash more broth if it gets too thick for your preference. If adding additional ham, add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
• SHRED HAM: When ready to serve, remove ham bone and shred off as much meat as you can. Discard the bone(s) and fat. Return ham to soup. (We like to get about 2 cups, so if your ham comes up short, you may want to add additional chopped ham pieces.) Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove 2 cups of the soup and blend (Note 5) until completely smooth. Return blended puree to the soup pot and mix through. Taste and season, adding additional salt/pepper as needed.
• SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls and serve with buttered crusty bread, a sprinkle of cracked pepper, and fresh thyme, if using. Enjoy!
• STORAGE: This soup stores nicely in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. To reheat, add the soup to a small pot and heat over low heat until warmed to desired preference. Or reheat in the microwave. (Make sure to cover it so it doesn’t splatter!) It does thicken as it stores, so you'll need to add in some additional chicken broth to thin. Freezing: Soup will freeze well for up to 2-3 months. Here are some best methods for thawing frozen soup.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Salt: Add salt very slowly and to taste. Ham hocks are very salty (saltier than a ham bone), so you may not even need any salt in this soup. If you are sensitive to salt and using ham hocks, replace 2 cups of the chicken broth with water.

Note 2: Split peas: Be sure to use somewhat fresh split peas for this soup! Old split peas can be dried out and may not soften in the soup.

Note 3: Ham: There are a few options for the ham. Whatever method you use, try to get a ham bone with as much meat as possible -- not only does this deliver more flavor in the soup, but it also means you'll have more shredded ham in the final dish.

• Leftover ham bone: If you've baked a holiday ham, save the bone (and leave a good amount of meat on it) for this soup. If you don't have a leftover ham bone, you can always ask the butcher at the grocery store for leftover ham bones.
• Ham hocks: Ham hocks are a ham bone, so these too are already smoked (cooked through). These are usually sold in the meat section of the store, or can be found in the deli. If you can't find them, use a grocery locator app or ask the butcher in the store.
• Adding extra ham: If your leftover ham bone is fairly bare or the ham hock(s) are less than 1-3/4 pounds, you'll probably want some extra ham -- we like to have about 2 up to 2-1/2 cups of ham in this soup. If you decide the soup will need extra ham, add some shredded or diced ham to the soup about 10 minutes before it will be done cooking.
• More flavorful broth: With a bare ham bone or small ham hocks, you may need to add some extra chicken bouillon powder or salt to the broth to ensure there is enough flavor. 

Note 4: Cooking time: The cooking time can vary quite a bit, depending on a few factors, including the pot you're cooking the soup in, the actual temperature of the stovetop, the specific split peas you're using, and personal preference. A few cues to look for: The ham should shred off the bone very easily and the split peas should be tender. How tender should the peas be? The peas only need to be cooked until they're tender, but if you prefer a creamier/smoother texture, continue cooking until the peas soften and begin to fall apart. Err on the cautious side; if the soup seems too thick, add in some water/broth and remove from the heat. (You can always add the pot back onto the stove if you decide you want the peas more tender or the soup thicker).

Note 5: Blending: Be sure to remove the center knob from the blender lid and replace that with a clean kitchen towel to avoid splatters. The blender needs to be able to release the steam!

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 218kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 161mg | Potassium: 829mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 6833IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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