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This amazing Split Pea and Ham Soup recipe can be made using a ham bone or ham hocks. It can also be made in a slow cooker or stovetop.
Indulge in a comforting and flavorful bowl of Split Pea and Ham Soup! This delightful and tasty soup is perfect for using leftover ham and is easy to make with simple ingredients.
This is the best soup I have made in a really long time! I have been craving split pea soup for a while. So, when I had a ham bone left over from our Easter dinner, I knew I had to make one of my all-time favorite soups.
If you don’t have a ham bone, no need to worry! I include instructions on how to use ham hocks or smoked shank too!
Why This Recipe Works
- The ham bone or ham hock adds a rich and savory flavor to the soup.
- Plenty of aromatics, fresh vegetables, and herbs give the soup heartiness and extra depth of flavor.
- Smoked paprika gives the soup a unique and smoky taste.
- A little vinegar enhances flavor and adds brightness to the soup.
Getting A Full Flavored Soup
The secret to a flavorful split pea soup is using a ham bone or joint to create a rich and flavorful stock to cook the soup in.
To make it, simply follow the instructions in the step-by-step instructions below. Just make sure you taste the stock before making the soup. Some ham is super salty, and you may need to add half water and half stock (like I did in the video).
Want to make this recipe in a slow cooker? See the recipe card for instructions.
How To Make Split Pea and Ham Soup
Start by rinsing the dried split peas (click here if you missed the section on soaking split peas for soup). Once rinsed, set aside.
If you don’t have a ham bone or leftover ham, you can use ham hocks, ham shank, or joint instead. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat. Then, add the hocks or joint to the pot and brown the meat on all sides.
Cover with eight cups of water and add a rib of celery, one carrot, an onion, and some black peppercorns to the pot if desired.
As ham can be salty, don’t add salt to the pot at this stage. Once the meat is cooked, you can safely taste the stock and season from there.
Bring to a boil, and lower the heat to low. Simmer the mixture for 2 to 3 hours, removing any foam that forms on the surface. Once done, remove the ham bone and vegetables from the pot, and strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.
Chop the carrots, onion, and celery into bite-sized pieces.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add one large chopped yellow onion and sauté until they become translucent. Add two finely chopped garlic cloves and cook another minute.
Add one pound of rinsed dried split peas. Followed by the ham bone, ham meat (or the ham hocks or shank).
Tie the parsley and bay leaf together with some kitchen string. Add three chopped medium-sized carrots and three chopped stalks of celery, along with the herb bundle and eight cups of ham stock.
Add half a teaspoon of smoked paprika and pepper to taste (save the salt until the end, as ham may be quite salty).
Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer; cover and cook for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir often, as the split peas can stick to the bottom. Stir three peeled and diced potatoes.
Cook until the soup is thick and the peas are to your desired consistency. This can take 30 to 40 more minutes, depending on the brand of peas you use.
Remove the pot from the heat and carefully remove the herbs and the bone (if using and then discard it). If using ham hocks or shank, remove the skin, discard it, and then remove the meat from the bone.
Shred the meat and add it to the soup. Mix and return the soup to the heat to reheat as needed.
Sample the soup and add salt and pepper to taste. If using, stir in a teaspoon of vinegar, then taste again and adjust the amount of vinegar to your liking, as it can help enhance the flavors in the soup.
Serve and enjoy.
Erren’s Top Tips
- If your bone isn’t meaty, or you don’t have leftover ham to add to the soup, use thick sliced bacon or cubes of pancetta by browning it in the pan before and removing excess oil before cooking the onions.
- Ham can be salty, so add the salt at the end to avoid over-salting your soup.
- Stir often, as split peas can stick to the bottom of the pot as they cook.
- Split peas absorb lots of liquid as they cook, so check the soup often and add extra stock as needed.
- The peas in this soup only need to be cooked until tender, but if you like a smoother, creamier soup, cook them longer until they are soft and falling apart.
- For an even silkier soup, puree it (before adding the shredded ham meat) with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor.
- To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the instructions: lower the heat to a simmer, add it to a slow cooker, and cook on low for 4 hours. Add the potatoes and then cook for a further 1- to 2 hours.
Make ahead and Freezing Instructions
Stored in an airtight container, Split Pea and Ham Soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Split peas soup will thicken when chilled. When reheating, additional stock will most likely be needed to thin it out again.
Freezing: Split Pea Soup freezes well. Allow the soup to cool before freezing (don’t leave it at room temperature for over an hour to avoid harmful bacteria).
Portion the soup into freezer bags or freezer-safe containers or fill an airtight container as much as possible (to avoid too much air being trapped) and freeze stacked on top of each other.
FAQs
Do Split Peas Need to Be Soaked Before Cooking?
Many people think it’s necessary to soak split peas overnight before cooking them, but it’s not imperative. Soaking peas shorten their cooking time to about 40 minutes instead of 1 to 2 hours (depending on the brand you buy). You can do this if you want to cut down the cooking time, but in my opinion, this will cut down on flavor, as simmering the soup as long as possible with the bone adds so much more flavor.
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Recipe
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Large Ham Bone (with leftover meat) (or a large ham hock or smoked shank)
- olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 3 medium carrots (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
- 3 stalks of celery (chopped)
- 3 potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 1 pound dried split peas (rinsed )
- 8 cups Ham Stock (Chicken or vegetable stock will work too)
- small bunch of parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Salt and Pepper (to taste)
- white wine vinegar (optional)
Instructions
If Using A Ham Hock or Shank
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in large Dutch oven or stockpot; add the hocks or joint to pot and brown on all sides.
- Cover with eight cups of water and if desired, add a rib of celery, one carrot, an onion, and some black peppercorns to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours to make the stock before moving on to making the soup.
For The Soup (Stovetop)
- In a large soup pot, saute the onions over medium heat in olive oil until translucent (about 4-5 minutes) add the chopped garlic and cook another minute (being careful to not let it get too dark). Add the peas, ham & bone (or ham hocks/shank), carrots, and celery.
- Tie the parsley and bay leaf together with kitchen string. Add the herb bundle, stock, paprika, and salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer; cover and cook (stirring often) 30 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes and cook until soup is thick and peas have almost disintegrated, about 30-40 minutes more.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and remove the bone to a bowl to cool.
- Pull meat from ham bone and shred.
- Remove the herb bundle from the soup and discard.
- Add the shredded ham and heat the soup to a simmer.
- Taste and if needed, season with salt and pepper. If using, mix in a teaspoon of the vinegar. Taste, and add more vinegar as needed to brighten the flavors in the soup.
- Serve hot.
Slow Cooker Instructions
- Follow the instructions for the stovetop method up to step 2, where the garlic is added and cooked for a minute.
- Transfer the sautéed vegetables and garlic to the slow cooker. Add the split peas, ham, bay leaf, thyme, and chicken stock to the slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on low for 8–9 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until the split peas are tender and the soup is thickened.
- Remove the bay leaf and ham bone (if using). Shred any ham from the bone and return it to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add water or stock to reach the desired consistency.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh herbs, if desired.
Tips
- If your bone isn’t meaty, or you don’t have a leftover ham to add to the soup, use thick sliced bacon or cubes of pancetta by browning it in the pan before and removing excess oil before cooking the onions.
- Ham can be salty, so salt at the end to avoid over-salting.
- Stir often as split peas can stick to the bottom of the pot as they cook.
- Split peas absorb lots of liquid as they cook, so check the soup often and add extra stock as needed.
- The peas in this soup only need to be cooked until tender, but if you like a smoother, creamier soup, cook them longer until they are soft and falling apart.
- For an even silkier soup, puree it (before adding the shredded ham meat) with an immersion blender or in batches in a blender or food processor.
- To make this recipe in the slow cooker, follow the instructions to where you lower the heat to a simmer and then add it to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4 hours, add the potatoes and then cook a further 1-2 hours.
Save to favoritesYour saved recipes will be right here waiting for you every time you visit, so you can easily find and make the meals you love.Update Notes:
This recipe was originally posted in January 2015 but was republished in 2023 with new photos and content.
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