This classic Split Pea Soup recipe is made with a meaty ham bone, carrots, onions, potatoes, and has a thick and flavorful broth. It’s easy to make on the Stove Top, Instant Pot, or Crock Pot!
I realize that I’m making quite a claim when I say that this is the best split pea soup ever, but it really is. Just read through the comments, people are in love. There is no doubt in my mind that it could win awards.
The recipe comes from a super old cookbook that my mom has. The steps are simple, and so are the ingredients! This one even landed a coveted spot in The Cozy Cookbook, so you know it’s good!
How to Make it
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions, including the Crock Pot and Instant Pot cooking methods.
Add a meaty ham bone to a 4.5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot along with the rinsed split peas, onions, butter, olive oil, onion powder, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover partially and simmer for 2.5 hours or until desired thickness is obtained. (Higher altitudes will require longer cooking time.) Add the potatoes and carrots about 40 minutes prior to serving.
Remove from heat once the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Discard the bay leaves and thyme stems. Remove the ham bone and cut/shred 2 cups of ham from it and add it back to the soup. Serve!
Do You Need to Soak Split Peas
- Soaking split peas may decrease the cooking time slightly, but since they’re already halved and pretty thin, it’s not necessary. I don’t soak them for this recipe.
Using a Ham Bone
Using a meaty, uncleaned ham bone is what gives this soup it’s amazingly rich and savory flavor.
- If your ham bone is small, or you are using a ham bone substitute: Be prepared to add up to 4 chicken bouillon cubes to the broth to add more flavor if needed.
- If your bone doesn’t have much meat: You can also add a diced ham steak at the beginning of cooking. 1 (8oz.) steak = about 1 ¼ cups diced ham.
Ham Bone Substitutes
- Bone-in Picnic Shoulder or smoked ham shank
- Using a ham hock is the next best option.
- Chopped salted pork and/or chopped smoked bacon can also be substituted.
Pro Tips
- Unlike most soup recipes, the vegetables don’t need to be softened in butter/oil first. They float to the surface of the soup and cook/soften in the fat from the ham bone.
- 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.
- If you’re at a higher altitude, longer cooking time is required.
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- This soup does freeze and reheat very well, just ensure that the potatoes and carrots are cooked until just fork tender so that they don’t become too soft.
Tools For This Recipe
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- 4.5 quart Dutch oven – the perfect size for this recipe.
- 6 quart Crock Pot – This one is programmable and will automatically switch to warm when the cooking time is up.
- Instant Pot
- Soup Ladle (This is the one pictured in this recipe.)
- 16 oz. storage containers I use these to store/freeze my soups. They have 8 oz. sizes as well. They’re stackable, leak proof, and dishwasher/microwave safe.
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Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry split peas, equal to 2 cups
- 1 ham bone, See notes for substitution options
- 2 cups ham, cut from the ham bone at the end.
- 2 cups onions, diced
- 1 ½ tablespoons onion powder, not teaspoons
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 8 cups water
- 2 cups carrots, diced
- 2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
Equipment
Instructions
- Note: The split peas do not need to be soaked for this recipe.
Stove Top
- Add the uncleaned/meaty ham bone to a large soup pot along with the rinsed split peas, onions, onion powder, butter, olive oil, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Add the water and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, with the lid slightly cracked.
- Let the soup simmer for 2.5 hours or until desired thickness is obtained. Stir occassionally as it cooks to lift any settling on the bottom of the pot. (Note that higher altitudes may required 5 or more hours of simmering time.) The longer it simmers, the thicker and more flavorful it will get.
- Add the carrots and potatoes about 40 minutes prior to serving.
- Once the carrots and potatoes are fork tender, remove the ham bone, bay leaves, and thyme stems. Shred/cut 2 cups of ham from the bone and add it back to the soup. Serve and enjoy!
Instant Pot
- Rinse the peas. Add all of the ingredients to 6+ quart instant pot. Make sure the pot isn’t more than 2/3 full.
- Secure the lid and set it to cook on high (or press the ‘pressure cook’ button) for 25 minutes.
- 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.
- Remove the ham bone, the bay leaves, and thyme stems. Slice/cut 2 cups of ham from the ham bone and add it back to the soup. Serve!
Slow Cooker
- Rinse the peas. Add all of the ingredients to a large Slow Cooker (5 quarts or larger).
- Cook on low for 8+ hours or on high for 6+ hours. It's ready to serve once the peas are tender and the soup has reached your desired level of thickness.
- Remove the ham bone, the bay leaves, and thyme stems. Slice/cut 2 cups of ham from the ham bone and add it back to the soup. Serve!
Notes
Using a Ham Bone:
Using a meaty, uncleaned ham bone is what gives this soup it's amazingly rich and savory flavor.- If your ham bone is small, or you are using a ham bone substitute: Be prepared to add up to 4 chicken bouillon cubes to the broth to add more flavor if needed.
- If your bone doesn't have much meat: You can also add a diced ham steak at the beginning of cooking. 1 (8oz.) steak = about 1 ¼ cups diced ham.
Ham Bone Substitutes:
- Bone-in Picnic Shoulder or smoked ham shank
- Using a ham hock is the next best option.
- Chopped salted pork and/or chopped smoked bacon can also be substituted.
Nutritional information is an estimate, and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.
Nutrition
Hi there this recipe sounds delicious! I am going to make it tonight, just wondering though if this doubles well? Or maybe like 1.5x? I have a big ham bone and lots of ham…would I just boil the ham bone longer to release more flavor? What do you think?? Thanks for all your help and your mothers great recipe!!
Hi Lisa!! Doubling the recipe works great! And if you cook the ham bone a little longer it will only increase the delicious flavor so if you have the time to do it, then definitely do it!! 🙂 ENJOY, I’m a little jelly!!
Can you use cooked ham?
You sure can! Enjoy!!
I meant to say water
Hi Diane! That would be 16 cups, if school bag is one pound:) Enjoy!!! I love this soup!!
I already presoaked 2 bags of peas. How much Ayer do I add?
Do you keep the ham bone in the simerring time or should I remove it after it boils?
Hi Kathy! I keep it in as it simmers too, I like to let it soak up every ounce of flavor from that bone! Enjoy the soup, I really need to make this again soon- Hopefully you’re getting full use out of a Christmas Ham! 🙂
I just found your recipe and really want to make it but I only have 8 oz of ham so how do I make this soup for one please please help
Hi Angie! I’d recommend simply cutting the recipe in half and freezing any leftovers that you won’t be able to eat in the near future 🙂 It freezes/reheats well! Enjoy!
I am vegetarian and can’t have dairy, so I make this without the ham bone and with coconut oil instead of butter. It still turns out delicious!
Thats sooo great Jenn, I appreciate you sharing those tips, thank you!!! Have a great weekend 🙂
Good Morning! My daughter is begging for split pea soup this morning for her birthday dinner! LOL. I want to try your soup but don’t have a ham bone. is there any other way of getting that yummy flavor??? I have only made split pea soup with a ham bone. thanks for any tips.
Hi Paula! I found this forum which has some tips… Such as using bacon, or adding a little liquid smoke, etc! Take a look and I hope you enjoy it! I’ve had readers make this without a bone and said it came out great! Happy birthday to your daughter!!! 🙂
http://www.city-data.com/forum/food-drink/1593846-alternatives-ham-hock-split-pea-soup.html
OH! Ya had me at Bacon and Liquid Smoke! 🙂
The Ham Bone I had frozen appeared to be in the freezer too long but since we just had a Picnic Ham (no bone) and there’s Bacon AND Liquid Smoke in this house…BAM!! Dinner is ON!
I went a little heavier on the potato, omitted the olive oil and butter and just added the bacon grease from the microwave tray since I cooked the bacon crisp before adding it to the simmer.
This is silly good!
Hey Suz! I’m soooo happy to hear your variations and that you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do!! Your changes sound absolutely delicious!
Instead of the raw potato, add two tablespoons of instant potato flakes to the soup. Give it time to absorb some of the liquid, If not thick enough add more potato flakes a little at a time
I buy soup bones at the Honeybaked Ham store. Not cheep but they usually have quite a bit of ham on them and it is really good, .
Hi Bill, thanks so much for the tips for this soup, I appreciate it!!!! 🙂
This is basically the pea soup recipe my mother always made over 50 years ago, and that I make to this day.
Awesome! Maybe it’s the same one! My mom got it out of an old cook book I think! 🙂 GOOD, isn’t it!?