Ham and Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup – Using leftover ham makes the best soup!  This split pea with ham soup is comforting, delicious and makes a great meal!

I am a huge soup lover, espcially when it is cold outside. It is the best way to warm up on a cold night.  Plus it is my excuse to have fresh bread.  These Honey Butter Dinner Rolls are pretty much perfect with any soup.  

Soup can be a great use when you have leftovers too.  This Split Pea with Ham soup uses lots of leftover ham after your holiday meal.  Ham & Bean Soup is another great one that you can use the ham and the ham bone in. 

This Split Pea Soup is one of my husband’s favorites. I always like to add ham to bulk it up, and it is such a great use of leftover ham after holidays, or even just diced ham from the grocery store. If you have a ham bone, it will take this to a whole new level you will go crazy for!

What You’ll Need

• Dried Split Peas
• Butter
• Onion
• Celery
• Carrots
• Garlic
• Ham
• Chicken Broth
• Bay Leaf
• Salt & Pepper
• Red Pepper Flakes

The hardest part is probably soaking the split peas in water overnight so they soften. You do have to plan ahead, but otherwise so easy! 

How to Make Split Pea Soup

1. Start with dried split peas. Soak in water overnight to let them soften and then you can start cooking with them.
2. Sauté the carrots, celery, onion and garlic in melted butter until the onions are soft and tender and you can smell the garlic.
3. Stir in the chopped ham and let is start to just brown on the edges.
4. Add everything else to the pot and bring it to a simmer for about an hour, stirring it occasionally.
5. Remove the bay leaf and taste to adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Can I Make This In The Crockpot

Absolutely! This is great to cook on low for hours in the slow cooker and just enjoy when you are ready. Technically you don’t even have to sauté the vegetables when you make a soup in the crockpot, because it cooks long enough they will get tender just in the cooking process.

Can I Make This Thicker

Yes! As written, this is a rather broth-y soup. But if you want a thicker or creamier soup, the best way to do this, without adding fat from heavy cream is to puree about half of the split peas before you add them to the soup. You want to do this before you add them to the soup or you will end up pureeing some of the ham, and you don’t want that.

How to Cook with Split Peas

The only way I have ever seen split peas sold is dried. So they will need to be soaked or simmered in liquid before they are used.  You can make this soup without soaking them first, your soup will just need to simmer for 1-2 hours longer until the peas are cooked.

To soak your split peas just place them in a plastic container and cover them with about 2 inches of water.  I place the container in the fridge and just let them sit there overnight. Then you are ready to use them in the soup the next day. 

Can I Use A Ham Bone

Yes!! If you have one, put it in when you pore in the broth. It will flavor the soup and make it amazing. You can use water instead of broth if you want, so it takes on the full ham flavor. Either works, it is just up to you what you want.

More Comforting Soup Recipes

• Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
• Avgolemono Soup
• Instant Pot Pozole
• Crockpot Tortellini Soup
• Beer Cheese Soup
• Cabbage Roll Soup

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Yield: 8

Ham and Split Pea Soup

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Split Pea Soup - Using leftover ham makes the best soup!  This split pea with ham soup is comforting, delicious and makes a great meal!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried split peas
• 3 Tablespoons butter
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ham, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf

Instructions

1. Put the dried peas in a large bowl, cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain the peas, set aside.
2. In a large stock pot melt the butter over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, and cook for about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the celery and carrots, cook until everything is getting soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for another minute.
4. Stir in the chopped ham, and let it begin to brown.
5. Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stir to get everything mixed together.
6. Pour in chicken stock, and add the bay leaf. Let is simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the peas become tender. Add water as needed if the soup gets to thick.
7. Remove the bay leaf, season with additional salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

Notes

For a thicker and creamier soup, puree 1/2 of the drained peas before adding them. Source: Adapted from Food Network

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Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 303Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 5gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 51mgSodium 1333mgCarbohydrates 27gFiber 6gSugar 7gProtein 21g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I’m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, you’ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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