Split Pea Soup (Stove Top, Slow Cooker, or Instant Pot!)

This BEST Pea Soup recipe is made with a meaty ham bone and is easy to make on the Stove Top, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot!

In need of recipes for leftover ham? Try these next! Ham Casserole with Broccoli and Rice| Scalloped Potatoes and Ham| Ham and Cheese Quiche | Ham and Bean Soup

I realize that I’m making quite a claim when I say that this is the best split pea soup recipe ever, but it is. Just read through the comments, people are in love.

The recipe comes from a super old cookbook that my mom has. The steps are simple, and so are the ingredients. It just proves that delicious recipes don’t have to be complicated to taste good. 

Note: I first published this recipe in 2014. I have since republished it in 2018 and again in 2019 as a result of adding more information, updating the pictures, etc. But I assure you, the recipe itself remains the same!

☝️Variations to the Original Recipe

• The original recipe doesn’t call for a ham bone, but I highly suggest you use one.
• I also recommend that you use 1/2 chicken broth, 1/2 water. (The recipe calls for all water.)
• You should also refrain from adding any salt as the chicken broth and ham have enough salt already.
• I suggest using fresh garlic vs. garlic powder.
• I suggest adding sprigs of fresh thyme. 

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.

…(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.

👇 My Ham Bone After Simmering

These bones are from the exact same meaty home bone pictured above. And nope! I didn’t clean these, they cleaned themselves! This gives the soup so much flavor.

Soaking split peas overnight:

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.
• Peas that have been soaked teas take about 1+ hours. 

Note: The peas do not have to be soaked for the Instant Pot method I’ve included below.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup

The longer you simmer split pea soup, the more it thickens. Just make sure the temperature is low if you are going to simmer for several hours to avoid losing too much liquid.

I like to simmer this soup for several hours, as is evident by the nearly brown color of the soup which is a result of the orange color of the carrots that make their way into the color of the soup.

Freezing Split Pea Soup

Pea soup freezes and reheats very well. It’s best if eaten with 3-4 months of freezing.

Using Homemade Chicken Stock

Whenever you make homemade soup, I highly suggest using homemade chicken stock. I promise, your cooking will taste ten times better.

Remember that you can always freeze leftover chicken carcass/meat and make chicken stock on a day when you have time! No defrosting necessary!

What Goes with Split Pea Soup?

• Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
• Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
• Ciabatta Bread
• Caesar Salad (with Homemade Caesar Dressing and Croutons)

Want More Soup?

• Ham and Bean Soup (Stove Top, Slow Cooker, or Instant Pot!)
• French Onion Soup
• Roasted Broccoli White Cheddar Soup
• Copycat Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana Soup
• More

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Print

4.38 from 158 votes

Servings: 6

Split Pea Soup

Prep Time:

10 mins

Cook Time:

2 hrs

Total Time:

2 hrs 10 mins

 

Author: Stephanie

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Split Pea Soup

This BEST Pea Soup recipe is made with a meaty ham bone and is easy to make on the Stove Top, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot!

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

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

Instructions

Stove Top

1. Put the water, chicken broth, split peas, & uncleaned ham bone in a large soup pot and bring to a boil.

2. Add all remaining ingredients except for the potato. Reduce to a simmer.

3. Note: 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 fully absorb the flavor from the ham bone.

4. Add the potato about 40 minutes prior to eating.

5. Once the poatoes are tender, remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems. Serve and enjoy!

Instant Pot

1. Add all of the ingredients to 6+ quart instant pot. Make sure the pot isn’t more than 2/3 full. **The Peas do not need to be soaked.**

2. Secure the lid and set it to cook on high (or press the ‘pressure cook’ button) for 25 minutes.

3. Once finished, let 10-15 minutes pass before you trigger the quick release valve. This will allow most of the pressure to release naturally, allowing the soup to cook a little bit longer.

4. Remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems. Serve!

Slow Cooker

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large Slow Cooker (5 quarts or larger). 

2. Cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 4+ hours. It's ready to serve once the peas are tender and the soup has reached your desired level of thickness.

3. Remove the ham bone/hock, the bay leaves, and thyme stems and serve!

Recipe Video

Recipe Notes

Note: The original recipe calls for all water. I've updated this to half chicken broth, half water. I love the flavor that chicken broth adds, especially if it's homemade. 

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.

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: 7185%, Vitamin C: 20.5%, Calcium: 68%, Iron: 2.3%