Ham and Split Pea Soup

5 from 1 vote
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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!

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. 

ham and split pea soup in a bowl

 

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! 

ham and split pea soup in a bowl

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.

ham and split pea soup in a bowl

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.

close up split pea soup in black bowl

More Comforting Soup Recipes

ham and split pea soup in a bowl
5 from 1 vote

Ham and Split Pea Soup

By Erin
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: 15 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total: 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • 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.
  • In a large stock pot melt the butter over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, and cook for about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the celery and carrots, cook until everything is getting soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for another minute.
  • Stir in the chopped ham, and let it begin to brown.
  • Add the drained peas, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, stir to get everything mixed together.
  • 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.
  • 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

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 1333mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8
Calories: 303
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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About 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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17 Comments

  1. Thank you, Erin! You read my mind. Split pea soup is my husband’s favorite also. I was thinking last night about how we could save money if I simply just made the soup. And, voilà, your post appears. And your recipe looks super-do-able. Yea!

  2. LOL… green soup is hard to photograph, I agree. I had to fuss with my own split pea soup photos when I made it and thought it look like something that did not look edible.

    Your soup does look good with the oyster crackers. I also like that you can see the peas in your soup… I blend mine up… maybe next time I won’t. 🙂