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 it, today, because it is COLD outside. Husband said it was the best split pea soup he ever had – and I agree. We had a nice, meaty ham bone in the freezer, homemade chicken stock in the freezer and a bit of store stuff in the fridge. Only added about a cup more liquid. It cooked more than two hours, and I also added about a cup of ham, left from a center cut we had a few days ago. Spectacular success. Husband made his Southern family cornbread recipe, and that was the entire menu. We’re stuffed and HAPPY. We’ll enjoy the leftovers in a few days with fresh cornbread. THANK YOU. I’ll make this again and again.
Split pea is one of my favorite soups. Didn’t have leftover ham or ham hocks, so I used a half package of bacon. Cooked the bacon first and sauteed the carrot/onion/celery/garlic in the bacon fat with a little olive oil. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly the first time and it was very good. Second and third times added a couple teaspoons of sage/oregano/marjoram while staying with the bacon vs ham. Fourth time I added a half pound of diced red potatoes about 20 minutes into the simmering. Awesome. Great recipe as is, or great springboard for creating something slightly different.
I cook a lot of soups during the winter. This one will become a go to.
I spilled the Thyme so got more than called for, but it was great anyway. One thing I did differently was to puree about 1/3 of the soup and re-added to thicken it up. Wonderful texture and delicious.
Family loved this and it was SO easy!
So good. Didn’t last long. Family loves this recipe. Will be using it only in the future.
This soup is amazing!!! I’ve been making it this morning and I’m afraid it won’t be left for dinner LOL! I used my 2 in 1 mixer at the end and made it smooth. I also cooked it low for an additional hour based on my own texture preference. This soup has me feeling like a chef! Thanks for sharing!
Delicious soup!
I loved this recipe! Nothing overly different but it just came out so good! Only thing I would do different is maybe add the carrots a bit later but not a deal breaker.
I will make it again for sure. ????
It’s a cold rainy day and I wanted some split pea soup. NOT the can stuff but real food.
I came across this recipe and it was very good. I am overly critical of my cooking but even I had to say this was the best. It’s easy.
Looks good
This is not only the best split pea soup I’ve ever made, but the best I’ve ever eaten. Like another commenter said, the thyme really elevates it. Thank you for a recipe I’ll make all winter!
Recipe was good but it took twice as long as stated because apparently you do need to soak split peas, even though the recipe says you don’t. Tasted great, but more like 3 hours cook time.
Noel, as explained in the recipe and article, split peas do not require pre-soaking. We’d be happy to help you troubleshoot what might’ve gone wrong in your execution of the recipe. Feel free to utilize the Contact form here on the website and a team member will respond.
I just left my review above! I had no problems with the cooking times when I made this today and didn’t have to pre-soak my split peas. My soup came out creamy looking like the pics. I’ve heard in the past they can be hard to soften if you’re using old split peas.
Amanda,
Thank you so much for the recipe. It has been added to my recipe book! Highly recommend this soup recipe if you like split pea soup. It’s hearty and fairly filling even w/o the bread. And it tastes like there are potatoes in the soup even though there are none. It’s also carb free! Can’t beat that! And the fresh thyme makes it very flavorful!
Hi Darya,
We’re so glad that you enjoyed the recipe! It’s one of our longtime favorites. We do want to make sure you know, though, that this soup isn’t carb free. Peas are starchy legumes and derive most of their calories from carbohydrates. So, while there aren’t potatoes or bread in this recipe, it is a carb-rich soup.
Happy Cooking,
The Striped Spatula Team
Made this recipe tonight for dinner. Oh, yum!! Very delicious.
This recipe is really delicious! I highly recommend it! I am not even much of a fan of split pea soup, but had recently been wanting to try making it. My opinion on split pea soup has now changed!
I live at a high altitude which causes boiling point to be at a lower temperature and more evaporation, so I increased the liquid a bit, and cooked it longer (about 2 1/2 hours), with a lid on the whole time, except when I stirred. It turned out the perfect thickness.
I also made bacon bits before-hand and used half bacon drippings and half butter for the sautéing. I threw the bacon bits in at the end.
I used low sodium broth and that’s a good thing because the salt level was perfect. I fear it would have been too salty if I hadn’t. I also added chopped parsley with the garlic. Served this soup with a Pinot Grigio and it was delicious.
Made this soup to help clean up Easter leftovers and it was fantastic! Thank you for sharing :)
Best split pea soup I’ve ever made – thank you. Thyme makes all the difference, who knew! This will be my forever go-to recipe.
Forgot to rate the recipe on my comment, 5 stars!
Hi,
Simply delicious!! Do be careful of salt per instructions! Easy to make.
Bon appetit!
Easy and delicious! The thyme really elevated this soup!
I have made split pea soup in the past but never was it this yummy! Consistency and flavors superb. Just make it folks!!!
Was asked to make split pea soup, never made it before, this was a big hit and the croutons were to die for.
Great recipe, used my food processor for 3/4 of the veggies (carrots, onions, celery) after cooking first, to have them finely diced, leaves enough for some color and texture but adds to the flavor I think with the finer chopping! ☺️