Ham Split Pea Soup (Print Version)

Smoky ham and creamy split peas meld with sweet carrots for a hearty, comforting dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1 lb smoked ham hock or diced cooked ham

→ Legumes

02 - 1 lb dried green split peas, rinsed and sorted

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 1 large onion, diced
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water

→ Herbs & Seasonings

08 - 2 bay leaves
09 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - Salt to taste

# How to Make:

01 - In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat a splash of oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened.
02 - Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
03 - Stir in split peas, ham hock or diced ham, bay leaves, thyme, and black pepper.
04 - Pour in chicken broth or water, stirring to combine.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender and soup has thickened.
06 - Remove the ham hock if used. Shred any meat from the bone, discarding fat and bone, and return the meat to the soup.
07 - Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Remove bay leaves before serving.
08 - Serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • One pot, minimal fuss, and your house smells incredible while it bubbles away quietly on the stove.
  • The split peas naturally thicken into creamy richness without any cream, so you get that luxurious texture with real nutrition.
  • Smoky ham does all the seasoning heavy lifting, meaning less salt and more genuine flavor.
02 -
  • Stir occasionally during cooking so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot—burnt soup can't be saved, but a wooden spoon scraping gently every 20 minutes prevents disaster.
  • If your soup is thinner than you'd like after the peas cook, you can use an immersion blender to purée about half of it, which creates creaminess without adding anything else.
  • The soup thickens as it cools, so don't panic if it seems loose when hot—that's exactly how it should be.
03 -
  • Sort your split peas before rinsing—occasionally a small stone hides in there, and biting into it is nobody's idea of a good time.
  • Buy ham hock from the butcher counter and ask them to crack it slightly; this exposes more surface area and releases flavor faster.
  • If you forget to soak or sort the peas, just rinse them well and proceed—this recipe is resilient enough to handle shortcuts.
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