Split Pea Soup
Split Pea Soup made with a ham bone, dried split peas, and carrots is a simple and classic soup. Easy to put together, this soup simmers into a delightful meal the whole family will love.
Servings 6 servings
Calories 352kcal
Equipment
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound ham bone or ham shank
- 4 cups water
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound dried split peas rinsed and picked through
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 large carrots diced
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ham bone. Pour the water and chicken stock into the pot. Stir in the peas, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes.
- Stir in the carrots and black pepper. Cover and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very soft and the carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the ham bone and shred any meat off the bone, if desired. Stir back into the soup. Add ½ teaspoon salt. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Rinse the split peas before using them. Whenever you use dried peas or beans, I recommend rinsing them in a fine mesh strainer to remove any sand or dirt and do a quick inspection for any tiny pebbles that may have slipped in during harvesting.
- Thicken the soup by simmering uncovered. For thicker split peas and ham soup, simmer uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking time.
- Add additional ham if desired. If your leftover ham bone has minimal meat on it or if you’d like extra protein, add shredded ham or diced ham steak to the cooked soup and simmer until the meat is heated through before serving.
- Hold the salt until the peas are soft. Salt can hinder dried legumes like peas and beans from softening during cooking. Minimize the amount you add while cooking by using low-sodium stocks and not adding additional salt at the start. The stock and the ham will contain some salt, which is why I refrain from adding the additional salt until after the peas are tender.
- Creamier variation. For an extra creamy soup, remove the ham bits from about 2 cups of the soup before blending in a countertop blender or with a handheld immersion blender. Stir the creamy puree back into the large pot, season to taste, and serve.
- Vegetarian split pea soup. For vegetarian green pea soup, omit the ham bone and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken stock.
- Optional: make slow cooker split pea soup. To make this recipe in the crock pot, sauté the onions, celery, and garlic with the oil until translucent. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the peas have softened.
Nutrition
Calories: 352kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1461mg | Potassium: 887mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4469IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 3mg