Are you looking for a soup that’s not just an appetizer, but a thick, hearty, and deeply satisfying meal in a single bowl? A soup that’s incredibly budget-friendly, ridiculously easy to make, and the perfect way to warm you up from the inside out on a chilly day? This classic, comforting, and absolutely delicious Ham and Split Pea Soup is a timeless recipe that you need in your collection.
This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a guide to mastering one of the great comfort food classics. We’ll show you how simple it is to transform a humble bag of dried split peas and some savory ham into a rich, creamy, and smoky soup that tastes like it has been simmering on a farmhouse stove all day long. This is the ultimate cold-weather comfort food and the absolute best way to use up leftover holiday ham.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Bowl of Comfort
What makes this Ham and Split Pea Soup a beloved classic is its incredible, deeply savory flavor and its simple, one-pot method. The recipe starts with a sweet, aromatic base of sautéed vegetables. Then, the split peas, ham, and broth are added and left to simmer, allowing the peas to break down and naturally thicken the soup into a wonderfully thick and creamy consistency. It’s a rustic, foolproof, and nourishing meal that is pure, unadulterated comfort.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 1 hour 30 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 8 |
The Essential Ingredients for a Perfect Soup
This recipe uses a handful of simple, classic ingredients to create its signature hearty and smoky flavor.
- Dried Split Peas: The heart and soul of our soup.
- What are they?: Dried split peas are field peas that have been grown, dried, peeled, and then split in half. This splitting process is what allows them to break down and dissolve into a thick, creamy purée during cooking, which is what gives the soup its signature texture. Green split peas are the classic choice for their sweet, earthy flavor.
- No Soaking Required!: One of the best things about cooking with split peas is that, unlike other dried beans, they do not require any overnight soaking!
- The Ham: This is where all that incredible, smoky, savory flavor comes from. This recipe is wonderfully versatile.
- Diced Cooked Ham: The easiest option is to use a pound of pre-cooked, diced ham or a thick-cut ham steak from the grocery store.
- The Ultimate Flavor Booster: If you have a leftover ham bone from a holiday meal, this is the absolute best way to use it! Simply add the bone to the pot at the beginning of the simmer to create the most incredibly rich and flavorful broth.
- The Aromatics (Celery, Onion, Garlic): This classic trio, sautéed in butter, builds the sweet and savory flavor foundation for the entire soup.
- Chicken Stock: A good quality chicken stock provides a rich, savory liquid base for our soup. You can also use vegetable stock, or if you are using a ham bone, you can even use all water.
Step-by-Step to the Best Split Pea Soup
Follow these simple, detailed steps to create this deeply comforting and impressive one-pot meal.
Step 1: Build the Aromatic Base
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-low heat.
Add the diced celery, the diced onion, and the sliced garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes. You want the onions to soften and become translucent, but you don’t want them to brown. This slow sweating process brings out their natural sweetness.
Step 2: Combine the Ingredients and Simmer
First, be sure to rinse your 1 pound of dried split peas in a fine-mesh sieve under cold running water. This removes any dust or debris.
Add the rinsed split peas, the 1 pound of diced cooked ham, and the bay leaf to the pot with the sautéed vegetables. Stir everything together.
Pour in the 1 quart of chicken stock and the 2 1/2 cups of water. Stir to combine everything.
Increase the heat to bring the soup to a simmer. Once it is simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover partially (leaving the lid slightly ajar), and let the soup cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: Be sure to stir the soup every 15 minutes or so, scraping the bottom of the pot. As the peas break down and the soup thickens, it can have a tendency to stick to the bottom.
You’ll know the soup is done when the peas are completely tender and have broken down, and the soup has become thick and creamy.
Step 3: Season and Serve
Remove the bay leaf from the soup.
Give the soup a taste, and then season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper to your liking.
Pro Tip: It’s important to wait until the end to add most of your salt. The cooked ham is already quite salty, and the flavor will concentrate as the soup simmers. Tasting it at the end allows you to season it perfectly.
Ladle the hot, thick soup into cozy bowls and serve immediately.
The Best Classic & Hearty Ham and Split Pea Soup
A classic and hearty recipe for Ham and Split Pea Soup, all made in a single pot. The flavor base is built by sautéing diced celery, onion, and garlic in butter. Rinsed, dried split peas are then added along with diced cooked ham, a bay leaf, chicken stock, and water. The soup is simmered for over an hour, allowing the peas to become tender and naturally thicken the soup into a rich, comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 38 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- ½ onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
- 1 pound cooked ham, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 2 ½ cups water
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large soup pot over medium-low heat.
- Stir in the diced celery, diced onion, and sliced garlic. Cook and stir for 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned.
- Stir in the rinsed split peas, diced ham, and the bay leaf.
- Pour in the chicken stock and water. Stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender and the soup has thickened.
- Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- This is a one-pot meal, which makes for easy cooking and cleanup.
- Rinsing the dried split peas before cooking is an important step to remove any dust or debris.
- The long, slow simmer is crucial for allowing the split peas to break down and naturally thicken the soup to a creamy consistency.
- Stirring occasionally is important to prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Serving Your Hearty Soup
This thick and hearty soup is a complete meal in a bowl. It’s perfect served with some rustic, crusty bread or classic crackers for dipping. For a beautiful presentation and an extra layer of flavor, you can garnish each bowl with:
- Homemade croutons
- A swirl of sour cream or heavy cream
- A sprinkle of fresh, chopped parsley
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This Ham and Split Pea Soup is a fantastic make-ahead meal, as the flavors become even deeper and more delicious overnight.
- Make-Ahead: You can prepare this entire soup up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- The Thickening Trick: Be aware that this soup will thicken considerably as it cools, becoming almost as thick as a pâté. This is completely normal!
- Reheating: To reheat, simply place the soup in a saucepan over low heat. Add a generous splash of water or chicken broth and stir as it warms until it has loosened up to your desired, creamy consistency.
- Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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Creative Recipe Variations
This classic recipe is a wonderful base for your own comforting and creative touches.
- Add a Ham Bone or a Smoked Hock: For the absolute richest, smokiest, and most flavorful soup imaginable, add a leftover ham bone or a smoked ham hock to the pot at the beginning of the simmer. After the soup is done cooking, remove the bone or hock, pull off any of the tender meat, shred it, and return it to the soup.
- Make it a Vegetarian Split Pea Soup: For a delicious vegetarian version, simply omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken stock. To replicate the smoky flavor, you can add 1 to 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke or 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika to the soup.
- Add More Hearty Vegetables: To make this an even more vegetable-packed soup, you can add 1 to 2 diced carrots along with the celery and onion in the first step. You can also add 1 to 2 diced potatoes to the soup along with the split peas.
Enjoy The Ultimate Bowl of Cozy Comfort!
You’ve just created a truly special meal that is the very definition of comfort food. This classic Ham and Split Pea Soup is a perfect harmony of smoky, savory, and sweet flavors, with an incredibly thick and hearty texture. It’s a humble yet spectacular meal that is guaranteed to warm you up and leave you feeling happy and satisfied.
We hope you enjoy every last, delicious spoonful!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves a good, hearty soup!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Do I need to soak the split peas before I cook them?
No, you do not! This is one of the best things about cooking with split peas. Unlike larger dried beans, split peas are small and have had their skins removed, so they will cook to a perfectly tender and creamy consistency in about an hour to an hour and a half of simmering, with no pre-soaking required.
Q2: What is the best way to thicken my split pea soup?
The beauty of this soup is that it thickens itself! As the dried split peas cook in the broth, they will naturally break down and release their starches, which is what transforms the liquid from a thin broth into a thick, creamy, and hearty soup. The longer it simmers, the thicker it will get. If you want an even smoother texture, you can use an immersion blender to purée a small portion of the soup.
Q3: Can I make this Ham and Split Pea Soup in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot?
Yes, this soup is perfect for both!
Slow Cooker: Sauté the vegetables first, then add all ingredients to a slow cooker. Cook on Low for 6-8 hours or on High for 3-4 hours, until the peas are tender.
Instant Pot: Sauté the vegetables on the “Sauté” function. Add all the other ingredients, seal the lid, and cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 15-20 minutes before opening.
Q4: What can I serve with Ham and Split Pea Soup to make it a full meal?
This soup is so thick and hearty that it is a full meal all on its own! The absolute classic pairing is a piece of warm, crusty bread, a grilled cheese sandwich, or some buttery cornbread for dipping and sopping up every last drop.
Q5: What is the difference between green split peas and yellow split peas?
They can be used interchangeably in most recipes. Green split peas, the classic choice for this soup, have a slightly sweeter and more distinctly “pea” flavor. Yellow split peas are a bit milder and more earthy in flavor. Both will cook down to the same thick, creamy consistency.