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.
Try These Next
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
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 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.
Get My Free Meal Plan
I’ve got a Free Meal Plan with 7 of my super popular recipes (complete with grocery list)! Sign up for my email list and I’ll send it over now along with weekly dinner recipes!
And follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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
I just made this yesterday. OMG so delicious. I will be making this every year. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Marilyn! I’m so happy it was such a success, thanks so much for the great comments!🩷
I have a few people that give me their ham bones to make this recipe! I usually double up the recipe and can get 8 2.5 cup bowls out of it for friends. I’ve been making this recipe for at least 7 years now. Reminds me of my moms when I didn’t like it but now do!
I’m so happy you’ve been enjoying this recipe for 7 years Krystal! I’m always asking people for their ham bones too, you just can’t beat the flavor. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!❤️
I got very upset when one reviewer said that it was too thick and threw it away! Not the golden goodness!
Painful, I know. So very painful to read!! 😩
I’m making this today because it’s cold and rainy. I would like to know if I could just chop up potatoes and put them in the slow cooker with everything else since I’m not using carrots or ham off the bone, just leftover ham. Will they cook quickly enough in there or should I still cook them separately?
Hi Sierra! The slow cooker instructions indicate to add the potatoes at the beginning, so that’s what you’ll want to do 🙂
This was by far the best tasting pea
soup I’ve ever made. Delicious 😋😋
Thank you 😊
I am SO happy to hear that Kathy! This is just the best recipe, a hidden gem on the blog! Thank you so much for the review!! -Stephanie 🙂
I LOVE split pea soup and have converted many people into liking it! A quick tip: to thicken your soup if you like thicker and creamier soup like I do, I use instant potatoes for thickening. It detracts from some of the flavoring a little, so I taste test and add more to my liking afterwards. I LIVE SOUP SEASON!!
Hi Wendy!! I couldn’t agree more, pea soup is just the best!! You are at a slightly higher elevation so I think your soup takes longer to thicken for that reason. My issue is almost that it becomes TOO thick, the longer it simmers, the thicker it gets! (So maybe you don’t need the instant potatoes, perhaps just a longer simmering time!)- Either way, thank you so much, so happy you love the recipe! 🙂
Can I use smoked turkey neck?
Yea you can! ❤️
always enjoy this one, seems always lots for me as no one else here likes it, which is all the better for me;) yum yum good
I’m so happy that you love the soup Daniel! Pea soup is one of my favs too. More for you is definitely a plus! Thank you so much for the review! -Stephanie
I enjoy your recipes yet i cannot make many of them im one person and askingbif possible the split pea soup would i just cut in half and still have results? Idk if it b as easy as other soups considering the consistency.
I cant find many homemade soups for 1 person .
Hi Sharon! I would imagine that you can cut this recipe in half, yes! Leftovers also freeze very well! 🙂
The best split pea soup I have made or tasted. I used a ham hock and chopped ham. Made in the slow cooker. Perfection in every way from texture to flavor. Brilliant
I’m so happy to hear that! Can’t beat this in the slow cooker. I love the aroma while it cooks. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💕
Can you use pork neck bones for this?
I’m sure that would add fantastic flavor, yes!!
Hello,
I’ve made this recipe so many times and love it! But I could have swore the times I made it before said you could use maybe 4 cups chicken broth and 4 cups water if you didn’t have a ham bone, however, I can’t find it in the recipe anymore! I know I’ve made it several times with chicken broth. Did you adjust the recipe? I can almost make it from memory but I just wanted to double check how much broth to take out of the freezer 😊
Hi Heather! Yes, you are correct, the verbiage has just been updated to indicate that you may want to add up to 4 chicken bouillon cubes to the 8 cups of water if you don’t have a ham bone, (which is the same as using 4 cups of broth and 4 cups of water!)-Enjoy!!
Thank you!!!