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
Ok, I feel guilty for not commenting and telling you, your Pea Soup recipe is in fact the best I’ve EVAH EVAH had. I made this every other week for a year it was so dang tasty ! Then I O.D.ed . Jan is here and was flipping through my recipes and BLAM ! Zee Pea Siup to end all other. Thank you, I’m on it at 6:00 in the a.m. and ready for another year of this culinary masterpiece. P.S. Think it was 3 or 4 years ago I first found this, Glad I dug it up again.
Hi Michael!! I am sooo thrilled that you have been enjoying this soup for years!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come leave this review, it put a big smile on my face, you’re the best! Happy New Year!!
This soup was amazing!! My mom always made split pea soup growing up but usually it was only my parent’s that typically would eat it. It didn’t look too appetizing and then one day U decided too try it and really enjoyed it! We had turkey and ham left overs and my husband wanted split pea soup instead of turkey soup. I came across you’re recipe on Pinterest! It looked so appetizing and after looking at the ingredients, I felt that this recipe was going to be really good! Thank you, I’ll be making it again in the future!!
I’m so glad that you loved the Split Pea Soup Barb!! 🙂 Thank you so much!
Hey Stephanie – Your Split pea soup recipe is Fantastic! I made this on New Years Day with left over ham/bone from Christmas. (I had froze the bone to keep it fresh and thawed it in fridge overnight). Cooked on the stove and let simmer for about 3 hours. Followed the recipe and added 4 celery stalks in with the carrots and potatoes. Wife loved it!
Nice work Graham, sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
I love this recipe instead of potatoes I used can of cream of chicken soup at the end when I put in ham it’s sooo creamy and delicious, I actually made a ham stock out the bone and used it for the liquid and added a bit of ham base this recipe is definitely a keeper!!!
I’m so happy it’s a keeper Rena, thank you!🩷 I love that you made a ham stock out of the bone, nice work!
The video doesn’t match the Instructions. The video uses chicken broth but not the written instructions. Am I crazy? Which is correct?
I used to use chicken broth with a ham bone but found that it is way too potent. If you have a ham bone, I’d use water! If not, use broth 🙂
This soup was superb!
I’m so happy to hear that Ian!! Thank you!!
Can’t wait to make it can I use yellow peas instead ita one my fav soups my grama made me growing up as a kid
Hi Carol! You can absolutely use yellow peas instead, you are going to love this soup- I can’t wait for you to make it either! 🙂 Enjoy!
Made this tonight and everyone absolutely loved it. I added a little corn starch to make it thicker and I will add more potatoes next time. This will definitely be one of my go to recipes from now on.
I’m so happy everyone loved it John! Thanks so much for the review😃
Made the pea soup today for dinner. It was delicious. Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, Cathy.
I’m so happy that you loved the Pea Soup!! Thank you so much!! -Stephanie
Soooo good.. made in my Dutch oven on the stove, this recipe is the easiest and best I have tasted.
I’m so happy to hear that Donna! Thanks so much for the great review!💜