Easy Split Pea Soup
This split pea soup recipe is absolutely delicious and unbelievably comforting! It’s easy to make with simple ingredients like dried split peas, carrots, celery, onions, and ham. We love the ham in this soup, but you can easily adapt our recipe to be vegetarian. I love hearty soup recipes, and this split pea soup definitely hits the mark! We use dried split peas as the base, and slowly simmer them with aromatic veggies, broth, and thyme until perfectly tender. Then, we blend the soup until smooth for an extra creamy texture. It’s hearty, flavorful, and unbelievably delicious. The ham adds a lovely smoky flavor, but if you’d prefer to make this without it, you can (and it will still be delightful). For more hearty soups like this one, see our lemon turmeric lentil soup and this easy black bean soup. I also love this ham and cabbage soup! Key Ingredients Split Peas: Split peas are dried peas that have been split in half, which helps them cook faster. They have an earthy and slightly sweet flavor. There are two main types: green and yellow. For this soup, we’re using green split peas because they have a slightly sweeter taste and hold their shape better during cooking, resulting in a heartier texture. Ham: I use boneless ham steak and usually find it sold by the pound (or close) in 1/2-inch slices. Bone-in ham is excellent, too. You can add the ham bone to the soup as it simmers for even more flavor. We’ll briefly cook the ham in the pot, remove it, and pulse it in a blender until it is shredded. This seems unusual, but it creates the perfect texture for the soup! We’ll save the shredded ham for serving. Aromatics: We’re keeping it classic with a mixture of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to create a flavorful base. Herbs: I love the combination of bay leaves and fresh thyme. I usually take 6 or so thyme stalks and tie them with some twine for easy removal later. Broth: Use what you love! That’s chicken stock for me, but veggie broth works perfectly well, too. Wine: A dry white wine adds a bit of complexity to the soup. Use something you already enjoy drinking. I often go for something simple like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay. You can also use a dry sherry. Dijon Mustard and Parsley: This is our secret! To add a lovely pop of flavor and color right at the end, we’ll blend in a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard and half of a bunch of fresh parsley. It livens everything up and really makes the soup taste incredible. Toppings (Optional): When serving this soup, we’ll blend it until smooth and creamy, then top it with the shredded ham, a dollop of sour cream, and some sliced green onion. Split Peas: Split peas are dried peas that have been split in half, which helps them cook faster. They have an earthy and slightly sweet flavor. There are two main types: green and yellow. For this soup, we’re using green split peas because they have a slightly sweeter taste and hold their shape better during cooking, resulting in a heartier texture. Ham: I use boneless ham steak and usually find it sold by the pound (or close) in 1/2-inch slices. Bone-in ham is excellent, too. You can add the ham bone to the soup as it simmers for even more flavor. We’ll briefly cook the ham in the pot, remove it, and pulse it in a blender until it is shredded. This seems unusual, but it creates the perfect texture for the soup! We’ll save the shredded ham for serving. Aromatics: We’re keeping it classic with a mixture of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to create a flavorful base. Herbs: I love the combination of bay leaves and fresh thyme. I usually take 6 or so thyme stalks and tie them with some twine for easy removal later. Broth: Use what you love! That’s chicken stock for me, but veggie broth works perfectly well, too. Wine: A dry white wine adds a bit of complexity to the soup. Use something you already enjoy drinking. I often go for something simple like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay. You can also use a dry sherry. Dijon Mustard and Parsley: This is our secret! To add a lovely pop of flavor and color right at the end, we’ll blend in a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard and half of a bunch of fresh parsley. It livens everything up and really makes the soup taste incredible. Toppings (Optional): When serving this soup, we’ll blend it until smooth and creamy, then top it with the shredded ham, a dollop of sour cream, and some sliced green onion. Vegetarian Adaptation: As discussed earlier, you can leave the ham out of this recipe to make it vegetarian-friendly. It will still be delicious and satisfying! How to Make Split Pea Soup We love this comforting split pea soup! This recipe is easy to follow and yields a creamy, flavorful soup perfect for any occasion (especially chilly nights). First, we’ll start with the ham. Cook the ham in a large pot until browned slightly. Then, remove the ham and cook the aromatics (onion, carrot, celery, and garlic) in the same pot. The aromatics will pick up the ham flavor, making the soup extra delicious. Once the onions are translucent, stir in the green split peas, herbs (bay leaves and thyme), and wine. Once the wine evaporates, pour in the broth, season with salt, and simmer until the split peas are tender (50 to 60 minutes). As the soup simmers, you can prepare the ham. Grab a blender, add the ham, and pulse until shredded. It feels odd to blend ham but trust me. The ham breaks down into the perfect texture for adding to our serving bowls. Remove the herbs, then blend the soup until smooth with some Dijon mustard (I use an immersion blender, but a stand blender in batches works, too). To serve, place a generous spoonful of ham into the bottom of a bowl and then pour over the soup. Garnish with more ham, sour cream, and sliced green onions. It would also be amazing with a slice of homemade focaccia! Easy Split Pea Soup PREP 15 mins COOK 70 mins TOTAL 1 hr 25 mins PREP 15 mins COOK 70 mins TOTAL 1 hr 25 mins This split pea soup recipe is absolutely delicious and unbelievably comforting. It’s incredibly easy to make with simple ingredients like dried split peas, carrots, celery, onions, and ham. We love the ham in this soup, but you can easily adapt it to be vegetarian (details for this are in the tips below). 6 Servings (12 cups) Watch Us Make the Recipe You Will Need 2 tablespoons olive oil 12 ounces (340g) ham steak, diced into 1/2-inch cubes 2 cups chopped onions, 1 large 1 cup chopped carrots, 2 medium 1 cup chopped celery, 3 ribs 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 pound (450g) green split peas (dried) 2 bay leaves 1 bundle fresh thyme 1/3 cup (78ml) white wine or dry sherry 10 cups (2.4L) low sodium chicken stock or veggie broth 1/2 bunch fresh parsley 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard Salt and pepper to taste 6 tablespoons sour cream for serving 2 green onions, thinly sliced for serving Directions 1Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot, like a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for a few minutes, browning slightly (but don’t dry it out). Remove the ham and set aside. 2Add another tablespoon of oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 3Stir in the split peas, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes. 4Pour in the wine and stir to lift anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. 5When the wine evaporates, pour in the chicken stock. Season with some salt (taste to see if you need it – I usually add 1/4 teaspoon or so). 6Bring to a low simmer, adjusting the heat as needed. Cook covered until the split peas are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally as it cooks. 7As the soup simmers, prepare the ham. Place the ham into a blender, working in batches if needed. Pulse until chopped/shredded. Reserve in an airtight container in the fridge until serving. 8When the split peas are tender, remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Add the parsley and mustard, then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. (You can also use a stand blender, but you will need to work in batches.) 9When ready to serve, reheat the ham, place a few spoonfuls of the ham at the bottom of the bowl. Pour over the soup and garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions, and a little more ham. 1Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot, like a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the ham and cook for a few minutes, browning slightly (but don’t dry it out). Remove the ham and set aside. 2Add another tablespoon of oil, onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of salt. 3Stir in the split peas, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes. 4Pour in the wine and stir to lift anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. 5When the wine evaporates, pour in the chicken stock. Season with some salt (taste to see if you need it – I usually add 1/4 teaspoon or so). 6Bring to a low simmer, adjusting the heat as needed. Cook covered until the split peas are tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Stir the pot occasionally as it cooks. 7As the soup simmers, prepare the ham. Place the ham into a blender, working in batches if needed. Pulse until chopped/shredded. Reserve in an airtight container in the fridge until serving. 8When the split peas are tender, remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Add the parsley and mustard, then use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy. (You can also use a stand blender, but you will need to work in batches.) 9When ready to serve, reheat the ham, place a few spoonfuls of the ham at the bottom of the bowl. Pour over the soup and garnish with sour cream, sliced green onions, and a little more ham. Adam and Joanne's Tips Reheating the ham: Place the ham on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the plate with a damp paper towel to help retain moisture. Microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds or until heated through. Or, quickly warm in a skillet with a couple of teaspoons of water. Bone-in ham: If you have a ham bone, add it to the soup as it simmers, and then remove before blending. Storing: Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Vegetarian adaptations: Remove the ham. There are no other necessary changes. For vegan soup, remove the ham and sour cream. Wine: I love the pop of flavor wine adds to this soup, but if you prefer this without wine, feel free to leave it out. Deglaze the pot with a splash of stock and then continue with the remaining recipe steps. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Reheating the ham: Place the ham on a microwave-safe plate. Cover the plate with a damp paper towel to help retain moisture. Microwave on high for 30 to 60 seconds or until heated through. Or, quickly warm in a skillet with a couple of teaspoons of water. Bone-in ham: If you have a ham bone, add it to the soup as it simmers, and then remove before blending. Storing: Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or freeze in freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Vegetarian adaptations: Remove the ham. There are no other necessary changes. For vegan soup, remove the ham and sour cream. Wine: I love the pop of flavor wine adds to this soup, but if you prefer this without wine, feel free to leave it out. Deglaze the pot with a splash of stock and then continue with the remaining recipe steps. The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. Nutrition Per Serving Serving Size 1/6 of the recipe / Calories 517 / Total Fat 12.9g / Saturated Fat 3.6g / Sodium 1030.1mg / Carbohydrate 63g / Dietary Fiber 21.4g / Total Sugars 10.6g / Protein 38.7g AUTHOR: Joanne Gallagher We’re Adam and Joanne, a couple passionate about cooking and sharing delicious, reliable recipes since 2009. Our goal? To inspire you to get in the kitchen and confidently cook fresh and flavorful meals.More About Us