Split Pea Soup with Ham is a hearty and comforting soup that’s perfect for making with leftover ham (and a ham bone) from a holiday dinner. No leftovers? No worries! Substitutions provided in the FAQ’s.
One of my favorite parts of a big holiday dinner is what I get to make the next day with the leftovers. Split Pea Soup is a tradition in my house whenever there’s a ham bone in the fridge, usually when we’ve made my Mom’s Honey Mustard Glazed Ham for Christmas or Easter.
Simmered with aromatics until thick and hearty, my family’s recipe for Split Pea Soup makes a comforting bowl that’s a little bit smoky, a little bit sweet, and completely satisfying.
Looking for more leftover ham recipes? Don’t miss my Monte Cristo Sandwiches and Ham and Cheese Puff Pastry Slab Pie!
What are Split Peas?
Split peas are field peas that are dried, peeled, and split in half for cooking. They come in both yellow and green varieties. Yellow split peas tend to be the mildest in flavor, and green split peas, sweeter. You’ll often see the yellow peas used in curries.
Split peas have great nutritional benefits. They’re low in fat, packed with fiber and protein, and are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, B, and magnesium.
Like the lentils in my French Lentil Soup, split peas don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking. They should be rinsed and sorted to remove any stones that might have gotten mixed into the bag.
Simmered with plenty of stock in a soup, they’ll cook down and thicken into a textured puree (without having to use an immersion blender).
Making Split Pea Soup with Ham
Since split peas are mild in flavor, soup made with them can be a little muted. The ham does a lot to rectify that, but a base of aromatics, fresh herbs, and well-flavored stock are equally essential.
I start this soup with a mirepoix (diced onions, carrots, and celery) softened in butter. For additional flavor, my family also loves adding a couple of minced garlic cloves as well. (Photos 01 and 02)
Once the vegetables are tender and fragrant, add the peas, ham bone, dried bay leaf, and fresh thyme right into the pot. (This is a simple recipe that isn’t too fussy to make–just add everything together and stir!) (Photos 03 and 04)
Tip: Ham can vary quite a bit in saltiness by brand and preparation. It’s best to go light when adding salt to the recipe and adjust to taste when the soup is finished simmering.
Simmering the Soup
I like to use a mixture of chicken stock and water to simmer my split pea soup. This combination ensures that the soup doesn’t have an overly “chicken-y” flavor. If you prefer, you can use all stock.
The split peas will cook down over the course of about 60-90 minutes. (Photo 05) I don’t puree the soup further, but you can if you prefer an ultra-smooth texture.
During the last 15 minutes of cooking, I add diced ham for a hearty texture. Adding it just before serving will warm the ham through without drawing a lot of additional salt into the soup itself.
Once the split peas are cooked, you can adjust the soup’s thickness to your preferences. If you find that it’s too thick, add some extra stock. For a very thick soup, simmer longer. Remember that the soup will continue to thicken as it stands.
Serving Tips: Don’t forget the croutons!
This soup is quite filling on its own, but my family likes to serve it with Buttery Garlic Croutons on top. The crunchy croutons are a great contrast to the creamy soup and bring even more flavor to the dish.
Without croutons, a piece of crusty artisan bread for dipping is never something I’d turn down. Finish the bowl with a little freshly-cracked black pepper and grab a spoon!
Split Pea Soup FAQ’s
New: January 2020. I have been so thrilled to see how many people have made and enjoyed my family’s Split Pea Soup recipe! Here are answers to a few questions that have popped up in the comments.
Q. I don’t have a leftover ham bone. What can I substitute?
A. You can often buy a meaty ham bone from sources like The Honey Baked Ham Company. When I filmed the video for this recipe, I called my local store and they were able to reserve the bone for me to pick up the next day.
You can also substitute smoked ham hocks. This cut comes from the bottom of the leg, near the ankle, and adds great flavor to braises and slowly-simmered soups. When the soup is ready, just remove the meat from the bones and shred it.
Ham hocks can be a bit saltier than a ham bone, so adjust your added salt as needed.
Q. My peas won’t cook! Did I need to soak them first?
A. Split peas shouldn’t need soaking prior to simmering. If they aren’t breaking down after 90 minutes (or even 2 hours), a few things might’ve happened:
- You could be using split peas that are too old. Split peas don’t have an indefinite shelf life. When they age and dry out too much, they take a lot longer to soften.
When you shop for them or take them out of your pantry, check the color. If the peas are very pale, chances are they’ve been in the bin or on the shelf for a while. - Are you at a high altitude? Split peas will take longer to simmer when higher than 2,000 feet above sea level. Read more about high altitude cooking from the US Department of Agriculture.
- Split peas can be affected by acid when cooking. If you’re using tap water in the recipe and it’s acidic, this can also make it difficult for them to soften.
Q. Can I make split pea soup ahead? (And, how should I store the leftovers?)
A. You can make this recipe in advance and store it, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days. You may need to thin the texture with a bit of chicken stock when you reheat it. The soup also freezes well for 2-3 months.
Q. Can I add diced potatoes to the soup?
A. My family prefers this recipe without potatoes, but they can certainly be added! Peel and cut the potatoes into a 1/2-inch dice and add them to the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking, until tender.
The potato starches can make the soup a bit thicker, so add additional stock or water after they’ve softened, to your preferred consistency.
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Want a quick preview of this recipe? View our Split Pea Soup with Ham Web Story!
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup diced carrot (1/4-inch dice)
- 1 cup diced celery (1/4-inch dice)
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt , to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper , plus additional to taste
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 pound dried split peas , rinsed and sorted
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 1 large bay leaf (or 2 small)
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves , chopped and quantity divided
- 6 cups chicken stock (low sodium)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup diced ham (1/4-inch dice)
- Buttery Garlic Croutons , for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat until foaming subsides. Add onion, carrot, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, until aromatic. Stir in split peas.
- Add ham bone, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Stir in chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until split peas are cooked down and soup is thickened to desired consistency. (Stir more frequently as the soup begins to thicken and add a little additional stock or water if it gets too thick for your taste.)
- Add diced ham during the last 15 minutes of cooking. When ready to serve, remove and discard ham bone and bay leaf, and stir in remaining 1 teaspoon fresh thyme. Season to taste with salt, if needed. Serve hot with croutons and cracked black pepper.
Video
Notes
Ham Bone Substitution:
*If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, two smoked ham hocks can be substituted (1-1/2 pounds). They are saltier than a ham bone, so reduce the added salt in your soup accordingly. When you remove the ham hocks from the pot, shred the meat off of the bones and return it to the pot before serving. Discard the bones.Make-ahead:
The soup can be stored, tightly-covered, in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for 2-3 months. When reheating (to 160 degrees F), add additional stock to thin the soup, if needed. Have a question about this recipe? Check out the FAQ’s above, or leave a comment below. We’ll do our best to help!Nutrition Estimate
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About our recipes
Please note that our recipes have been developed using the US Customary measurement system and have not been tested for high altitude/elevation cooking and baking.
Made this on this snowy, cold day today, exactly per recipe. FANTASTIC! Best Split Pea Soup I’ve ever had!
Thank you for this WONDERFUL recipe! ❤️
I just made this with the ham bone from Christmas that I froze. This was off the chain good! My soup was really thick so I had to add quite a bit of chicken and vegetable stock (ran out of chicken stock) Towards the end I took out the ham bone and added quite a bit of meat from it back to the soup (it was pretty meaty) This was soooo good! I think next time I’m gonna add just a few red pepper flakes because I like my stuff to have a little heat, but that’s just me. Thank you!!
I made this today and added 4 pieces of chopped bacon. It is sooo good!! After reading comments here, I’ll add some diced potatoes next time. Yum!!
The flavor was there. I did not have a used ham bone so used a ham hock, which came in a pack of 2. It took 2 hours to soften the split peas and I had to scrape pretty good to get the meat off the bones even after the 2 hours. Then I partially hand-blended the soup. It was really tasty.
This was the BESSTpea soup I have ever had. I’ve been out of town and my husband served it to two guests who came for lunch and they went crazy for it also. When I get home, I’m going to make another big batch and freeze part of it. absolutely delicious.
I followed the recipe without alterations, but the soup ended up not thickening up properly for me and I’m not sure why. I continued simmering, it just didn’t quite get to where I wanted it, and the texture I was looking for was lost as the peas broke down. Next time, I’d either omit 2c liquid or add potatoes to thicken, which I don’t currently have. The taste is great, it just didn’t set up how I was hoping. Just something for others to potentially keep in mind if you’re looking for a hearty soup, with peas still in tact.
Danielle, thank you for your comment. It seems there may be some confusion about the traditional texture of split pea soup. Dried split peas are meant to break down significantly during cooking; if they remain intact, they are likely undercooked and too firm to enjoy. Reducing the liquid in this recipe by 2 cups will not result in properly cooked, tender split peas. If you’re looking for a soup or stew where the peas stay intact, you may want to seek out recipes that use fresh or frozen peas instead. I wish you success with your cooking!
Perfect for a cold Wisconsin evening! I added two small diced potatoes 45 minutes before serving. My ham bone was really big and meaty, so I cleaned that off when I added the potatoes and threw that ham back in. I used dried thyme and the soup was delicious! very hearty!
Delicious! Added more carrots and onion.
how long should I soak them for??? (peas)
Hi Sandra, split peas don’t require soaking before cooking.
I make this recipe year after year after the holidays, it’s so simple but such a winner.
I usually triple the recipe and add tons of garlic. I add some lemon, red wine vinegar, or red wine to the soup, it really gives it some oomph!
I also use an immersion blender to make it a bit smoother/thicker
My first time making pea soup and it was excellent following the exact recipe. The only difference was I omitted the salt because I used salted butter. It was perfect!
AH-Maazing! Great soup recipe. Used up the leftover ham and bone from Christmas. The only things I did differently were that I browned the bone and some of the ham chunks when I browned the onions/carrots/celery. Also, it seemed a tad too salty so I added a diced potato in and let that cook for 20 or so minutes. Hubby was super impressed as well! Will definitely make again!!!
I made this minus a ham bone, which I did not have. I threw in a parm rind instead, but otherwise followed the recipe. This was definitely the best pea soup I have ever made and I am 79 with a lot of cooking under my belt. The flavor and consistency were perfect.
Hi, Can you make with frozen peas? Can’t wait to try. Judy
Hi Judy, you’ll need dried split peas for this recipe. To make soup with frozen peas, I recommend searching for a “Green Pea Soup” recipe.
This recipe was hands down by miles the best split pea recipe I’ve ever made. So much umami going on here, I’ll go as far as saying this might have been the best soup I’ve ever had in my life and I’m over 50 years old. Just follow the recipe and you can’t go wrong. I did throw a half of a lemon (unsqueezed) during the last 15 minutes in there as an ode to my wife’s grandma, she always did this. After my wife and I had this, we immediately printed it out and put it in our cookbook. We will be making this every year after Christmas from now on. So good!
This was so simple and delicious! Very very filling. Served with a side of homemade cheesy garlic bread. It fed a family of 7 (2 sets of toddler twins, 1 teenager, and 2 adults) . The toddlers went CRAZY over this soup. Needless to say there were no leftovers. Will definitely be saving this to my recipe arsenal. Thank you for a warm and hearty meal for Northern Michiganders :)
I’m working with a boneless smoked ham, so I didn’t have the bone – but it still turned out absolutely delicious. It’s also reasonably easy to make! I have more ham in the freezer & plan to make it again!
Excellent. I make about 4 batches a year. All my friends want this soup,and will pay $12/qt when I make for our church outreach program.
Very simple to make but excellent flavor. I don’t change anything about the recipe. My favorite soup!
This split pea and ham soup is always perfect. I follow the recipe with the addition of cubed potatoes. I doubled it to make sure I had leftovers.
I don’t have a ham hockey or ham bone, as my ledtover ham is what I was sent home in my GIANT to go from my dad. I have a ton of meat & the biggest piece has the large strip of fat or skin (idk much about pork lol). will all this work out still ? should I put that big chuck of outside in & then pull it out when done? I’m not a very experienced cook.. so any advice on how I could make this work would be GREATLY appreciated !!
Hi Reanna, you can make the recipe without a ham bone. You’ll lose a bit of flavor, but you’ll still have the diced leftover ham (I would trim off the fat) added to the pot during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Without a ham bone, you will probably need to add additional salt to the soup to taste.
This recipe turned out great! I made some minor alterations like using all chicken stock with no water, and no carrots because we don’t care for carrots. Mine was perfect at an hour 45. At 2 hours it was thickening up pretty well. I tried the croutons,but didn’t care for them as they just got too soggy.
I’d say that this was the perfect recipe for a first timer or an old timer, like me!