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Love this Split Pea Soup recipe? Try some of my other soup recipes like Loaded Baked Potato Soup, Chilled Pea Soup with Goat Cheese Croutons, Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup, or Tuscan White Bean Soup.
Ingredients to make Split Pea Soup
This is a simple recipe for a classic split pea soup that has lots of veggies, chunks of ham, and dried split peas. This is a comforting soup for chilly winter days.
- Dried Green Split Peas – dried green peas are found in the dried vegetables aisle with dried beans etc. Rehydrate in water overnight or minimum of 8 hours
- Ham Hock – adds smoky depth to the soup. See substitutions below
- Butter – unsalted butter
- Yellow Onion – finely chopped onions
- Celery – finely chopped celery ribs
- Carrots – finely chopped carrots
- Garlic – fresh minced garlic cloves
- Ham – diced ham from a Smithfield ham or similar
- Spices – kosher salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes
- Herbs – bay leaf, fresh thyme leaves or thyme sprigs
- Chicken Broth – or add chicken stock, water, vegetable stock, or other flavorful broth
Find the printable recipe card with exact measurements and step-by-step instructions below.
Substitutes & Variations
- Omit ham hock and just use chunks of ham
- Substitute yellow split peas for green split peas
- Top with crunchy croutons
Special Equipment Needed
How to Make Classic Split Pea Soup
After rehydrating the split peas for a minimum of 8 hours this recipe comes together easily.
- Place peas in a large pot or large bowl and cover with water by 2 inches (important as the peas will soak up the water). Rehydrate a minimum of 8 hours or preferably overnight. Drain the tender split peas and set aside.
- Score the ham hock all over with a sharp knife. Add to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Discard water and set the ham hock aside.
- In a large pot, or large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the ham chunks and saute until they begin to brown. Add peas, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and ham hock. Stir 2 min.
- Add 8 cups of chicken broth, bay leaves and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove bay leaf and adjust seasoning. Remove meaty ham bone and pull off the meat and add back to the soup.
- If you prefer a smoother consistency, use an immersion blender to blend slightly and serve.
What to Serve with Split Pea Soup
Tips for Storing Leftovers
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Reheat in a microwave safe bowl or over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove
- Freeze in an airtight container up to 3 months. Bring to room temperature before reheating.
FAQs
Yes, after rehydrating the peas, add all ingredients to a slow cooker / crock pot and cook on high 4-5 hours or on low for 8 hours.
Yes, melt the butter in the pressure cooker and saute the onion, carrots, celery, and ham chunks until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the remaining ingredients and cover the pressure cooker. Set to high pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Rapid release the air valve. Taste for seasonings and serve.
Yes, using water in place of chicken stock works just fine. Other stocks or broths will work just fine but will change the taste slightly.
No, it’s not necessary. Ham hocks are smoked so they impart a nice rich smoky flavor to the soup, but can easily be omitted.
More Recipes We Love
Some other recipes from around farmgirlgourmet.com that we think you’ll enjoy…
- Pea, Tomato & Ham Salad
- Spring Pea & Goat Cheese Salad
- Creamy Sausage & Pea Pasta
- Asian Apricot Spiral Ham
- Curried Carrot and Apple Soup
Classic Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried split peas
- 1 ham hock
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup carrot, finely chopped
- 3 tsp minced garlic
- 1 lb ham, such as Smithfield
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ¾ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 8 cups chicken stock, or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 tsp fresh thyme
Instructions
- Place the peas in a large pot or bowl and cover with water by 2 inches. Soak 8 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
- Score the ham hock. Place in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Discard water and set ham hock aside.
- In the same large pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the ham hock and chopped ham and saute until it starts to brown. Add the peas, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes and stir for about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, and thyme and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower temperature to medium-low and simmer for 1 hour. Remove bay leaf and taste for any seasoning adjustments. Serve with fresh thyme, fresh parsley and/or cracked black pepper.
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Nutrition
*Nutritional information is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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Hi! I’m Heather
I’m Heather, a recipe developer and content creator based in Vancouver, Washington. I started Farmgirl Gourmet in 2006 because I believed weeknight dinners shouldn’t be boring and gourmet shouldn’t mean complicated. I’m also the co-founder of Spiceology, so safe to say I think about food for a living. Stick around for recipes that actually make it into your regular rotation.
This is an old recipe I’ve been making since my kids were babies. It’s so hearty and satisfying!