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 2 votes

Split Pea Soup

By Chelsea Lords

Split Pea Soup is thick, creamy, and packed with veggies, split peas, and tender ham—humble-looking but bursting with flavor!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

• Large, heavy-bottomed pot 5.5 quart or larger
• Blender

Ingredients 

USMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 cups finely diced onion 2 medium onions
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced carrot 2 to 3 large carrots
• ▢ 1 cup finely diced celery 3 to 4 stalks
• ▢ Salt and pepper see 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 fresh split peas rinsed; old split peas may not soften
• ▢ 2 small bay leaves or 1 large
• ▢ 1 meaty ham bone or ham hocks, see note 3, plus more ham if desired
• ▢ 8 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• ▢ Fresh thyme leaves optional
• ▢ Hearty buttered bread for serving

Instructions 

• 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 veggies 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 rinsed split peas and mix through.
• Add ham bone, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 60–90 minutes (see note 4), stirring occasionally so the peas don’t catch on the bottom of the pot. Cook until peas are cooked and soup is thickened to desired consistency. 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.
• 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. (I like about 2 cups, so if your ham comes up short, you may want to add additional chopped ham.) Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove 2 cups of the soup and blend (see note 5) until completely smooth. Return blended puree to the soup pot and mix through. Taste and season, adding additional salt/pepper as needed.
• Ladle soup into bowls and serve with hearty buttered bread, a sprinkle of pepper, and fresh thyme, if using. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

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

Note 2: There are a few options for the ham. Whatever method you use, try to get a ham bone with as much meat as possible—this delivers more flavor in the soup and means you’ll have more 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. You can also ask a butcher at the grocery store for leftover ham bones.
• Ham hocks: Ham hocks are a ham bone, so these are already cooked through. They are usually sold in the meat section of the store or can be found in the deli.
• 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—I like to have 2 up to 2-1/2 cups of ham in this soup. Just add some shredded or diced ham 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 3: The cooking time can vary a lot, but here are few cues to look for: The ham should shred off the bone very easily and split peas should be tender, though if you prefer a creamier texture, continue cooking until peas soften and begin to fall apart. If the soup seems too thick, add some water/broth and remove from heat. (You can always cook more if you want peas more tender or the soup thicker).

Note 4: Be sure to remove the center knob from the blender lid and replace it with a clean kitchen towel to avoid splatters. The blender needs to be able to release the steam!

Storage: Store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days. It thickens as it stores, so you’ll need to add some chicken broth to thin. Soup will freeze well for up to 2–3 months. Here are some best methods for thawing frozen soup.

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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