This split pea soup with ham is so easy to make from scratch! Slowly simmered on the stovetop, this homemade soup recipe is so much more flavorful than a store-bought version. Made with humble ingredients, this soup is thick, hearty, and so satisfying! It’s a classic recipe for a reason and once you’ve tried a big cozy bowl of this soup, you’ll want to make it again and again.
Similar to my lentil soup, this recipe tastes more flavorful the next day and freezes wonderfully, so you can make a big batch and enjoy it later. It’s not only a comforting soup, but it is a great healthy meal as well. This soup is full of fiber and protein while being budget-friendly. If you need a delicious bread to serve with this soup, then try my crescent rolls recipe, garlic bread, or homemade French bread!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Aromatics — the key to any delicious soup base, don’t skip out on the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. These aromatics add a ton of flavor to your soup base.
Ham bone or shank — if you plan on shredding the meat after cooking to add back to the soup, make sure you buy a meaty ham bone or shank. If your bone or shank does not have much meat, you can add a bit of diced ham steak to the soup.
Chicken stock — if you’re worried about how salty the ham bone will be, you can use low-sodium or no salt added chicken stock.
Dried split peas — unlike other dried beans, there is no need to soak dried split peas before cooking. Split peas will cook quickly and easily without soaking.
How to Make Split Pea Soup
1. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until the onion turns translucent.
2. Add the ham bone.
3. Pour the water and chicken stock into the pot.
4. Stir in the split peas, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the carrots and black pepper. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very soft and the carrots are tender.
6. Remove the ham bone and shred any meat off the bone if desired. Stir back into the soup. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- The cook time of the soup can depend on the freshness of the dried peas. If they take a long time to soften, or perhaps they seem like they’re crumbling and not softening after simmering for a while, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the pot. It will foam up but subsides as it cooks. The baking soda should soften the beans with a little more simmering! Cooking time also needs to be increased if you’re at a higher altitude.
- Salt can hinder dried peas and beans from softening during cooking, so you want to minimize the amount you add while cooking. Your stock and the ham will contain some salt, so refrain from adding the additional salt until after the peas are tender.
- If you want a thicker soup, you can open the lid and simmer last 10 to 20 minutes to reduce the soup to a thicker consistency.
- For a creamier soup, you can remove a portion of the cooked soup without any ham, puree it with an immersion blender, and stir it back into the split pea soup.
- Before using the split peas for the soup, I recommend rinsing them first. This will help remove any sand or dust on the peas. Also, double-check to ensure there aren’t any tiny pebbles mixed into the dried split peas.
- If you’d like to make this soup vegetarian-friendly, leave out the ham and use vegetable stock.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leftover split pea soup will keep well for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, stored in an airtight container. Make sure the soup is at room temperature before covering and refrigerating. You can reheat leftover soup in the microwave or on the stovetop. If the soup has thickened too much, reheat it with a splash of water or chicken stock to thin it back out.
To freeze, let the soup cool completely and store it in freezer-safe containers or bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave some space in the container as liquid expands when frozen. Thaw the soup overnight in the fridge before reheating.
If you can’t find a ham bone, you can use a ham hock, leftover cooked ham, or thick-cut diced ham. If you are not using a ham bone, add extra stock in place of the water, as the bone adds flavor to the soup. Also, ham hocks can be a bit saltier than a ham bone, so hold off on the salt until you can taste the soup and salt to taste.
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If you’ve tried this Split Pea Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Split Pea Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ham bone or ham shank
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound dried split peas rinsed and picked through
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 large carrots diced
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ham bone. Pour the water and chicken stock into the pot. Stir in the peas, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and black pepper. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very soft and the carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the ham bone and shred any meat off the bone, if desired. Stir back into the soup. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The cook time of the soup can depend on the freshness of the dried peas. If they take a long time to soften, or perhaps they seem like they’re crumbling and not softening after simmering for a while, add ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the pot. It will foam up but subsides as it cooks. The baking soda should soften the beans with a little more simmering! Cooking time also needs to be increased if you’re at a higher altitude.
- Salt can hinder dried peas and beans from softening during cooking, so you want to minimize the amount you add while cooking. Your stock and the ham will contain some salt, so refrain from adding the additional salt until after the peas are tender.
- If you want a thicker soup, you can open the lid and simmer last 10 to 20 minutes to reduce the soup to a thicker consistency.
- For a creamier soup, you can remove a portion of the cooked soup without any ham, puree it with an immersion blender, and stir it back into the split pea soup.
- Before using the split peas for the soup, I recommend rinsing them first. This will help remove any sand or dust on the peas. Also, double-check to ensure there aren’t any tiny pebbles mixed into the dried split peas.
- If you’d like to make this soup vegetarian-friendly, leave out the ham and use vegetable stock.
