Split pea soup is a thick and creamy soup loaded with fresh vegetables and delicious bits of ham. Full of comfort, this wonderful, hearty soup is easy to make and perfect to enjoy not only during soup season but any time of year!
Are you in the mood for more soup recipes? Make some hearty ham and bean soup, creamy yellow squash soup, always popular hamburger vegetable soup. or this healthy creamy zucchini soup!
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Homemade Split Pea Soup Recipe
This comforting soup is a fantastic way to use leftover holiday ham. And when you make it with fresh herbs and vegetables, the flavors and aromas will overtake your kitchen.
If you haven’t made a classic split pea soup before, this simple recipe is a high-fiber soup that is great for a quick lunch or dinner.
Ingredients/shopping list
- Green Split Peas: The dried peas are the basis of this soup. They’re just like regular peas, except they cook faster just because they’re split in half. Make sure to rinse them well first.
- Olive Oil: Use your favorite oil to sauté the vegetables before you add them to the soup.
- Mirepoix: Onion, celery, and carrots add a flavor base to the soup.
- Garlic: Use fresh minced garlic cloves to get the most aroma and flavor.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme gives the soup an amazing taste.
- Vegetable Broth: This is the base of the soup. You can use chicken broth as an easy swap.
- Bay Leaves: These add earthy notes to the soup.
- Ham: I used cooked and diced ham steak for the perfect smoky flavor.
Variations/ Substitutions
1. If you happen to have bacon but no ham, use that instead!
2. Use either vegetable oil or butter for sautéing.
4. Use a leftover ham bone or smoked ham from a holiday dinner. If using the bone, remove the ham from the bone after cooking and add it back to the soup pot.
5. Throw in some diced potatoes for to thicken the soup even more.
6. For a vegetarian split pea soup, leave out the ham altogether.
How to Make Split Pea Soup with Ham
This soup will warm you up from the inside out. It’s a savory ham and veggie soup that you’ll want to make over and over again. Here’s how to make this soup with just 10 minutes of prep time in a single pot on the stove top!
Step 1: In a large pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often until they begin to soften.
Then add the garlic and thyme and sauté for another minute or two.
Step 2: Pour in the broth and dried split peas and stir to combine well. Add the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3: After simmering, add in the chopped ham. Cover the pot again and continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
Step 4: After the hour is up, the peas should be nice and tender. If they’re not give it another 15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf prior to serving.
What To Serve With Split Pea Soup
You can serve it before a meal or enjoy a bowl of it as your entire meal. If you want an even heartier meal, make a sandwich with sourdough bread!
Or skip the bread entirely and eat this soup with some easy tuna patties.
You can also eat it as part of a soup and salad meal. Something as simple as Caprese pasta salad, broccoli salad or this shaved Brussels sprout salad.
Truth be told, a basket of crusty bread or crackers on the side is enough for me!
Can I substitute green peas for yellow split peas?
Yes, you sure can! Green peas are a little sweeter than yellow but the nutritional value is practically the same.
Tips
- For a thicker soup, use an immersion blender to puree it. (a potato masher works as well) You can also purée about half of it so it has a rich, hearty consistency but still has some chunks of ham and veggies.
- Split peas do not need to be soaked, but you do need to rinse them well. For no other reason than just to make sure they’re not dirty!
- The soup will thicken as it cools. You may need to add a splash of liquid to it when you reheat it the next day.
FAQ’s
I don’t recommend using country ham or ham hock in this soup. It is super salty and will make the soup taste salty. If you use country ham, don’t add more salt, and use water instead of broth.
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Once completely cooled, fill a freezer-safe container leaving about ¼ room for expansion.
Use the stovetop on medium-low heat or in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for a minute stirring halfway through.. Either works!
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Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients
- 2 cups split peas dried
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onion diced
- ½ cup celery diced
- ½ cup carrot diced (or sliced)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves fresh
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup cooked ham diced
Instructions
- Rinse the split peas in a colander under cold water.2 cups split peas
- In a large pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium heat.2 tablespoons olive oil
- Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often until they begin to soften.½ cup onion, ½ cup celery, ½ cup carrot
- Then add the garlic and thyme and sauté for another minute or two.4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon thyme leaves
- Pour in the broth and split peas and stir to combine well. Add the bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.8 cups vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 30 minutes, add in the diced ham, cover again and cook for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.1 cup cooked ham
- After an hour, test the peas to see if they’re tender. If they are not, cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclosure
Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
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