Split Pea Soup with Ham

Split Pea Soup with Ham is a classic comfort food and one of the easiest soups to make! So much flavor is packed into only 9 humble ingredients, loaded with veggies and just 15 minutes to prep. It's super creamy but is dairy-free, hearty, healthy and so delicious!

Why We Love It!

• It's the Perfect Winter One Pot Meal! - Split Pea Soup with Ham is a classic for a reason! Nutrient rich, super healthy, and the kind of cozy soup that can simmer on the stovetop all afternoon!

• Easy and Quick to Prep! - All basic pantry staples, in just 15 minutes you can have it all put together and then let it simmer away. The ham in this soup is versatile! It's delicious with a leftover holiday ham bone, a store-bought smoked ham shank, or can even be made with chopped ham steak or deli ham.

• If you Love this Creamy Pea and Ham Soup, be sure to check out my Pasta Fagioli Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup, and our favorite Chicken Wild Rice Soup!

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Onion, Celery, Carrot, Garlic - The starting veggies are the basics and I usually have them all on hand. They provide the base flavor of the soup and a huge helping of nutrition! This soup is forgiving, so if you don't have the exact amount of any of the veggies, your soup is still going to turn out fine!

• Salt, Pepper, and Italian Seasoning - Split pea soup seasonings are super simple because the ham gives it so much flavor. Do take into consideration how salty your ham is. If you think it may turn out too salty, just cut back on the 1 teaspoon, you can always adjust the seasoning at the end!

• Dried Split Peas - Dried split peas are fresh peas grown to be dried and split. They are full of vitamins, fiber and protein, and when slowly cooked they break down to a creamy consistency.

• Chicken Stock - Save your bones and veggie scraps to make Homemade Chicken Stock for the Freezer! Store-bought chicken or veggie stock are also fine, and your soup will also need water.

• Fresh Parsley - A pop of fresh herbs gives great flavor. Fresh thyme or chives would be great too!

Options for the Ham

The ham in this recipe is versatile! Classic split pea soup is humble peasant food, meant to make use of the bone or any ham you have. With all 3 variations, remember your ham is already cooked, simmering only makes it more tender.

So when your split peas are soft, the soup is done! A ham bone is ideal for the best flavor, but any ham will work!

• Leftover Holiday Ham Bone or Meat - Perfect for leftover holiday ham, with or without the bone! The bone likely has some scraps of meat still clung to it that will end up in your soup. You can store the bone in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it to save for soup later. Just add the whole bone and any additional shredded or chopped ham in with the sautéing veggies and simmer the full 2 hours. Then remove the bone, pull off any meat you can and add it back to the soup. If you have holiday leftover ham without the bone, use roughly 2 cups but this amount is flexible. If you have holiday ham, try my Ham and White Bean Soup, Broccoli Cheddar and Ham Soup, and this Potato Ham and Leek Soup too!

• Smoked Ham Hock - Our local butcher shop carries smoked ham hock frozen. These are great to stock your freezer to make this soup anytime! Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then add to the soup as the vegetables saute. When using a ham hock, I've found that the full 2 hours of simmering, or even longer make the meat more tender and easier to pull off the bone. After two hours you can remove the ham hock to a cutting board until it is cool enough to handle. Then pull and shred the meat from the bone before adding it back to the soup. Try to remove any fatty pieces. The soup can continue to simmer with the shredded ham.

• Ham Steak or Deli Ham - The ham bone options definitely will give you the best flavor, but using ham steak or even deli meat is super simple! Just shred or chop and saute along with the veggies.

This soup is very simple to prepare and then can simmer away on the stovetop with just an occasional stir!

Step 1 - Chop your veggies and ham. If using a leftover holiday ham bone or smoked ham hock, you'll wait to remove the meat from the bone until the soup is done simmering.

Step 2 - Saute the veggies and ham in olive oil over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

If using a ham bone, just add it in as the veggies saute.

Step 3 - Add the garlic and Italian seasoning and give it a good stir until fragrant, then add the dried split peas (rinse them!) stock, water, and parsley.

Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low or medium low. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Keep it simmering at a low bubble, not boiling or sputtering out of the pot. If using a ham bone give it a flip and a good occasional stir to make sure every part gets submerged in the liquid.

The split peas need that long to slowly break down, forming the hearty creamy substance of the soup. But your work is done, just give it an occasional stir!

Step 4 - After 1.5 hours or more, you can remove the cover and taste to see if your split peas are softened. If not, just keep simmering.

If using a ham hock, you can pull out your ham bone and remove the meat, then shred and chop it before returning it to the soup.

Step 5 - Keep simmering the soup until you decide it's done. You can keep the split peas with a little bit of bite, or continue cooking them until totally mushy.

The soup will thicken as it cooks and even more as it cools, add water if it becomes too thick. The thickness is a personal preference, so adjust to your liking, you may add up to 2 or 3 cups of additional water.

What to Serve With

Like all soups, we love ours with crackers, croutons, crusty bread, or even grilled cheese sandwiches.

Try making your own amazing loaf of Dutch Oven Bread! You could add Honey Skillet Cornbread or a Kale Apple Slaw Salad to make it a bigger meal!

Chef Tips

• Cooking Time - This soup is simmered for about 2 hours, but this amount is forgiving and flexible! You really can't overcook it, it's the kind of soup that really can simmer away unwatched over a low burner. Cooking longer than 2 hours is even better and will make the ham hock meat even more tender. The ham is however already cooked, so you are really just cooking it until the split peas are tender. It's done when it feels done to you, give it a taste!

• Adjusting the Thickness - The soup will seem pretty watery as it cooks, but by the end will likely get too thick! The split peas just get thicker and thicker as they cook and then even more as they cool. Just add water. You may need a couple extra cups as you near the end. The soup can be served as thick or as thin as you like.

• Leftover Holiday Ham can be chopped and portioned and frozen in 1 or 2 cup containers to make soup later.  Great for so many recipes!

• Slow Cooker Instructions - This Creamy Split Pea Soup with Ham is easily made in a slow cooker. Simply add all ingredients and cook on LOW for 8 hours or more. Once your split peas break down into a creamy consistency, it's ready! If using a ham bone, you'll need to shred the meat off the bone in the final hours and add it back to the crockpot.

• Storage and Freezer Instructions - Store split pea soup in air tight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days or cool overnight in the fridge first and transfer to the freezer for 4 to 6 months. Your soup will thicken as it cools and will likely need water when you reheat it. Soup can be frozen in glass jars for perfect individual servings, just make sure to only fill ¾'s full to allow for expansion and cool overnight in the fridge first.

• The Meat in this Recipe is Versatile! - Remember you can use any type of ham in this recipe, including leftover holiday ham, smoked ham hock, ham steak or deli ham. You could also use bacon, either fry it first in the pot, then reserve it to add back in at the end, or use leftover cooked bacon. A ham bone or hock will give you the best flavor!

If you made this recipe, I'd love to hear how you liked it! Be sure to leave a star rating by clicking the stars in the recipe card, or leave a comment below!

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