Split Pea Soup

Carrots, onions, potatoes, split peas ham blend perfectly together in this rich and flavorful split pea soup recipe that comes straight from mom!

I realize that I’m making quite a claim here, when I say that this is the best split pea soup recipe ever, but it just is. My mom used to make this for us and I was sure that I couldn’t do it like she does, but (gasp), I did! And you’ll amaze yourself too. Check out the how-to video below to see how easy it is, and ready through the comments, people are in love with this recipe. 

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👉By the way, this is the original pea soup image I used when I first published this post, if this is what brought you here from Pinterest:

Split Pea Soup with a Ham Bone:

Using a nice meaty, uncleaned ham bone is what gives this soup it’s amazingly rich and savory flavor. Perfect for using up Easter leftovers! (But you can ignore all of the ham/ham bone references if you must, and make this recipe without it, I’ll just look the other way.)

Ham Bone Substitutes for Split Pea Soup:

Using smoked ham shanks or ham hocks are a great alternative and also add tremendous flavor. (If you can ask the butcher for one or the other, a shank is meatier and more preferable for this recipe.)

Chopped salted pork and/or chopped smoked bacon can also be substituted.

Soaking your peas overnight:

This is optional, but you may choose to soak your split peas overnight or for a few hours before making this soup to speed up the cooking process the next day. Completely dry peas take 2+ hours of simmering before the soup is ready. Soaked ones take about 1+ hours. 

Using Homemade Chicken Broth:

Homemade chicken broth is easy to make at home and makes your soups and stews taste twice as good:

-Take a leftover chicken carcass (even a small rotisserie chicken is great for this), and place the bones and all of the scraps into a medium/large pot.

-Add enough water to cover the chicken by an inch or so. Add in any onions/celery if you have them.

-Cover the pot, leaving a small crack for steam to escape and simmer for an hour or two.

-Place a fine mesh strainer over another large pot and pour the mixture into the strainer, allowing the broth to seep through the strainer into the pot. The remains in the strainer can be discarded.

-Allow the chicken broth to cool and freeze for your future soup needs!

Want more Soup?

• Crock Pot Creamy Chicken Stew
• My Mom’s Lentil Soup
• Roasted Broccoli White Cheddar Soup
• Slow Cooker Pork Stew
• Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
• More

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Print

4.67 from 56 votes

Servings: 6

Mom's Split Pea Soup

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

 

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Split Pea Soup

Carrots, onions, potatoes, split peas ham blend perfectly together in this rich and flavorful split pea soup recipe that comes straight from mom!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 4 cups water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 ham bone (optional but preferred!)
• 2 cups onions diced
• 2 cups carrots diced
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 lb. dry split peas equal to 2 cups
• 2 cups ham diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ½ Tablespoons onion powder optional
• 1 tablespoon garlic minced
• 1 russet potato diced

Instructions

1. Put the water, chicken broth, onions, carrots, & uncleaned ham bone, in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.
2. Add all remaining ingredients except for the potato. Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer. Completely dry peas take 2+ hours of simmering before the soup is ready. Peas that have been soaked overnight take 1+ hours. Either way, I still chose (and recommend) that you let the soup simmer for several hours. This allows plenty of time for the peas to cook and the soup to thicken and to fully absorb the flavor from that ham bone.
3. Add the potato about 40 minutes prior to eating. When the potato pieces are done, you’re ready to eat! It’s as easy as that 😉

Recipe Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 343, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 33mg, Sodium: 1188mg, Potassium: 912mg, Carbohydrates: 33g, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 6g, Protein: 19g, Vitamin A: 143.7%, Vitamin C: 24.9%, Calcium: 6.8%, Iron: 12.8%