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    Home » Recipes » Soup & Stew

    Split Pea And Ham Soup Recipe

    Published: Mar 21, 2020 · Modified: Sep 4, 2022 by Laura Reigel · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Comments

    I'm a big fan of homemade soup! Split pea soup with ham is one of the classics. I make this recipe with ham hock. But you can also make it with leftover ham.  A batch of soup is awesome for meal prep because it keeps in the fridge or the freezer.

    Pot of split pean soup with ham hock. In a Staub dutch oven.

    My mom inspired this Split Pea Soup Recipe.

    Growing up, my mom was always really good at whipping up some kind of soup. A lot of my mom's cooking didn't have a recipe, per se. She always cooked from intuition. Especially, things like a pot of soup!

    A few that remember are her Potato Soup Recipe, this Split Pea Recipe, and her Ham and Beans.

    All of these things have one thing in common. They start with bacon! If not with actual bacon, a ham bone or a smoked ham hock.

    Even to this day, my parents eat bacon every single day. They both grew up in the midwest, and having a hearty breakfast to start the day is like a religion.

    What Ingredients Do you Need to make split pea and ham soup?

    Ingredients for split pean soup in a dutch oven. recipe by foodology geek.

    Mirepoix

    I have a lot of recipes that use mirepoix. If you stick around for a while, you will be an expert on the subject of mirepoix. Pronounced as (meer-pwa).

    Mirepoix is the base of most soups recipes. It's made of: Carrots, Onions, and Celery.

    One bag of split peas

    Most commonly, you can find 16-ounce bags of dried split peas in the rice and beans section of the grocery store.

    Split peas are green peas that are peeled, dried, and then split. Green split peas are typically used for making pea soup.

    Yellow split peas are more often used in Indian and Asian cooking. You may be familiar with dal.

    One smoked ham hock

    You can find smoked ham hock at the butcher counter. I often ask the butcher to 'crack it' for me. Which simply means to slice it into pieces, usually three.

    If you have a leftover ham bone, maybe from a Holiday dinner, you can use that and any leftover ham too!

    If you do not have a ham hock or a ham bone, you can still add some smoked pork flavor by using bacon. Just brown it before adding the ingredients for the mirepoix.

    To make a vegetarian split pea soup, simply leave out the ham all together.

    Chicken Broth

    You can also use water or vegetable broth.

    Bay leaves and thyme

    I use two dried bay leaves and 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried thyme.

    When you make this split pea soup with a ham bone, you don't need a lot of seasoning.

    Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. How much salt you add will vary depending on the salt contribution from your bacon or ham and what kind of liquid you are using.

    How to make split pea soup

    1. Start by dicing the carrots, celery, and onions.
    2. Add the ham (ham hock or ham bone) and the broth.
    3. Simmer for about 40 minutes until the peas are tender.
    4. Remove the ham hock and pull off the meat. Add it back to the soup.

    PRO-TIP: If your soup gets too thick you can add more water. I like my split pea soup on the thick side. But, sometimes when I reheat it, it needs a little bit more liquid.

    Split pea soup with ham and bay leaves. Needs to simmer for about 40 minutes or until the split peas are tender.

    What to serve with Split Pea Soup

    Soup is always good with a salad and a side of good bread.

    My Aunt Donna's Fluffy Dinner Rolls are one of our family favorites.

    As far as salads go, I love a simple green salad with Champagne Mustard Vinaigrette. I also love this Greek Salad Dressing.

    A few more soup and stew recipes are:

    My Low Carb Beef Stew Recipe that I make in the Instant Pot, is one of my favorites. Homemade Tomato Soup, especially when served with grilled cheese cannot be beaten. Authentic Beef Pho Tai and Firehouse Chili are two of my favorite comfort food recipes.

    Check out all of my Soup Recipes HERE!

    And get my Maple and Mustard Glazed Ham Recipe!

    In the meantime enjoy this hearty bowl of Split Pea Soup

    This recipe is just one easy pantry friendly recipe that I have on the blog.

    Bowl of split pea soup with a red napkin.

    ➽ Did you make this recipe? I love to see what's going on in your kitchen. Please show me what you're cooking. 🍳 Tag me @foodologygeek on your favorite social channel! Facebook, Instagram & Pinterest. If you loved ❤︎ this recipe, please leave a five ★ review and a comment!

    split pea and ham soup recipe in a dutch oven by foodology geek
    Favorite Saved!

    Split Pea Soup with Ham

    Laura Reigel
    Split pea soup made with smoked ham hock. This soup is easy and super flavorful.
    PRINT PIN SAVE SAVED
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr
    Course Soup
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8
    Calories 218 kcal

    Equipment

    • dutch oven

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
    • 1 medium white onion diced, approx. ½ to 1 cup
    • 2 medium carrots diced, approx. 1 cup
    • 2 medium celery stalks diced, approx 1 cup
    • 1 smoked ham hock cut into three pieces (use one or all three)
    • 16 ounces split peas
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 2 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 8 cups broth or water
    • 2 teaspoon sea salt more if needed
    • ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
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    Instructions
     

    • Add the olive oil, diced vegetables and salt and pepper to the dutch oven.
    • Sauté over medium high heat until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Add the ham hock and the dried split peas to the pot.
    • Add the broth (or water) and the bay leaves, and the thyme.
    • Bring to a boil.
    • Cover. Reduce to a medium-low simmer Let simmer for a minimum of 40 minutes to an hour. (I like to simmer until the ham is falling easily off the bone.)
    • Remove the ham hock from the soup mixture and pull the ham off the bone. Cut into bite sized pieces and returen the ham to the soup.
    • Adjust the thickness of the soup:
      If soup is too thick, add more broth or water until the desired consistency is reached.
      If the soup is too thin, let the soup simmer until some of the excess liquid is reduced.
    • Add salt and pepper to taste. Salt content will vary based on what type of broth you use.

    YOUR OWN NOTES

    Click here to add your own private notes.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cupCalories: 218kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 14gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 961mgFiber: 15gSugar: 8gCalcium: 44mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword ham, peas, soup
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?Snap a 📸 and share it. Tag me @foodologygeek and don't forget to hashtag #foodologygeek!

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    About Laura Reigel

    Laura is the owner and CEO of Foodology Geek. She holds a degree in Physiology and Neuroscience as well as a Certification as a Nutrition Coach. Laura uses her love of cooking and science to create healthy real food recipes that you'll love eating.

    As a certified recipe hoarder, and meal prep maven Laura is passionate about sharing her love for cooking easy from-scratch recipes. She also shares the occasional family recipe and all of the technical details.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica Robinson

      March 21, 2020 at 7:09 pm

      I remember my mom making split pea soup! This is such a great recipe and so glad it's freezer friendly!

      Reply

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