Homemade split pea and ham soup made with dried split peas, potatoes and carrots. This hearty soup will remind you of your childhood!
The Best Hearty Split Pea Soup Recipe
This homemade split pea soup is a delicious recipe made with ham, dried split green peas, chicken broth, potatoes, and celery. It’s hearty and filling—perfect if you want a nice and hot healthy meal!
Chicken noodle soup is great, but this split pea soup with ham is a great alternative for a comforting soup! Serve with fluffy rolls, sweet Hawaiian rolls or crusty Italian bread. Enjoy!
How to Make Split Pea Soup
Place dried split peas in a large soup pot and cover with water. Soak them overnight. Need a quick soak method? See “quick soak” section below in the post.
The next day, drain peas, rinse, and return to pot.
Add the water, chicken broth, ham bone (or ham hocks), onion, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf to the pot.
Bring to a boil and then cover and let it sit at a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Remove the ham bone and cut off the ham to dice it.
Add carrots, potatoes, and celery to the pot and cook until vegetables are softened.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If stored properly, it will last up to a week. Reheat in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add more water if it begins to thin out when warmed.
How to Freeze
You can freeze your split pea soup for up to three months. First, you must let the soup cool to room temperature. Then, store in freezer-friendly bags or containers. When ready to make it again, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and warm up in a saucepan on low.
Ham Bone Substitutions
If you can’t find ham bone, you can use ham hocks. Ham Hocks have less meat on them, but they will still help with creating a delicious broth for the soup. These are both found in the meat section at the grocery store.
Alternatively, you can use cooked ham (or leftover ham), but the soup won’t taste as smoky. You’ll want to add cooked ham to the soup when you add in the potatoes.
Other Recipe Swaps:
For this pea soup recipe, you can add a few substitutions or leave out certain ingredients as desired.
- Chicken broth: You can use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock.
- Vegan split pea soup: To make this recipe vegetarian or vegan-friendly, leave out the ham and use vegetable broth!
Split Peas Quick Soak Method
There is a quick soak method for peas if you don’t want to soak them overnight. Simply boil the split peas in water for 5 minutes and let them sit for an hour, covered. Drain the peas and proceed with the recipe.
Hearty Split Pea Soup FAQs
Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?
For this recipe, yes, please soak the split peas before cooking, this is an important step for the best flavor and texture for this soup. Soaking isn’t always necessary for all split pea soup recipes, but for my recipe, don’t skip the soaking step! Luckily, there is both an overnight method and a quick method depending on how much time you have or your preference.
Is split pea soup healthy?
Yes, split pea soup is very healthy — especially in this split peas soup recipe. Not only do split peas contain protein and fiber, but they are also a great source of iron, folate, and potassium. The ham offers even more protein while the carrots are a great source of vitamin A.
What is the difference between split pea soup and pea soup?
Split pea soup is typically thinner than traditional pea soup. It also has more visible ingredients such as ham, and in this specific recipe, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
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Hearty Split Pea Soup
PrintIngredients
- 16 ounce bag dried split peas
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds ham bone (or ham hocks)
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 stalks celery chopped
Instructions
- Place dried split peas in a large soup pot, covering them completely with water. Cover the pot and allow to soak overnight (or for at least 8 hours).
- Drain the peas, rinse and return to the pot.
- Add 4 cups water, chicken broth, ham bone, onion, bay leaf, salt and pepper to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf from pot and discard.
- Remove the ham bone from the pot and cut off the ham, dicing it into a bite size pieces. Return the ham back into the pot.
- Add carrots, potatoes and celery into the pot, bring to a low simmer and continue to cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened.
- Serve soup in bowls, alongside some crusty bread or rolls for dipping.
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