Split Pea Soup {With Ham}

Quick Summary

Loaded with nutritious veggies and bright color, this Split Pea Soup is a classic that’s perfect for chilly days and weeknights that call for comfort food! It is also a great recipe to use up leftover ham!

Let’s talk soup! It is one of my favorite things to make during the cold months. I love a good one pot meal that is hearty, comforting, and nourishing.

This homemade Split Pea Soup is filled with tender vegetables, robust herbs and spices, and it’s flavored with savory ham. This is one of Josh’s all-time favorite soup recipes and we make it whenever we have leftover ham.

It is usually our go to meal after the holidays when we are tired from cooking and need a good, easy meal. It’s the best recipe for using up leftover ham.

Split Peas

Split peas are dried peas that are high in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. They have a slight sweet flavor and creamy texture that makes perfect for soup. You can find split peas in most grocery stores by the dried beans. We use green split peas for this soup recipe.

You don’t have to soak the split peas to make this soup. Sure, soaking will help them cook faster, but it isn’t necessary. You want the soup to simmer for awhile so the flavors can develop.

This soup simmers for 60 minutes, which gives the peas plenty of time to cook to tender perfection. If you do soak the peas before cooking, you can reduce the cooking time by 20 minutes.

How to Make Split Pea Soup

For this recipe, you will need a leftover ham bone, which makes this the perfect soup for after Easter or Christmas. Save that ham bone from your holiday ham! If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, you can still make the soup. Just buy ham hocks from the grocery store. If you aren’t sure where to find them, just ask the employee at the meat counter, they can help you. The ham bone or hocks give the soup so much flavor!
If you want to make this soup vegetarian, you can leave out the ham and use vegetable broth, but it really gives the soup a lot of flavor.
You start with onion, celery, and garlic, like most soups. The soup is also seasoned with bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, chicken broth, and the ham bone or hocks.
After you add the split peas, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 60 minutes, or until the peas are tender. You can stir it occasionally, but it should be fine. Go watch your favorite show or read a book:)
When the peas are soft, remove the ham bone or hocks and stir in the carrots. You can also stir in cooked ham to thicken the soup. This is optional, but it will add lots of flavor. Josh always adds ham, especially when we have ham to use up! It’s perfect!
Cook for an additional 20 minutes so the carrots and soup can thicken up. The soup will thicken even more as it cools and sits, especially the next day. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water or more broth.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

Side Suggestions

This soup would be absolutely delicious paired with any of the following:

How to Store

Any leftovers can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The soup will be thicker the longer it sits. You can add a little water or broth when you reheat it to think it out, if necessary.

You can also freeze this soup for up to three months. Make sure the soup is completely cool and pour into a freezer container, leaving about an inch at the top because the soup will expand as it freezes. Defrost, reheat, and enjoy!

More Soup Recipes

Soup

Split Pea Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
8 cups chicken broth or stock
16 ounces dried green split peas, picked over and rinsed
2 ham hocks (can use leftover ham bone from cooked ham)
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
2 small carrots, chopped
2 cups chopped cooked ham, optional
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish, optional

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, vegetable broth, peas, and ham hocks. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover the pot with a lid and let the soup simmer for 60 minutes, or until the peas are tender.
Remove the ham hocks and stir in the carrots and cooked ham, if using. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the soup thickens and carrots are soft.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley, if desired. Serve immediately.

Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 75mg, Sodium: 978mg, Potassium: 1350mg, Fiber: 20g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3510IU, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 5mg