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
So easy and delicious
Yayyy, thank you!💗
Just made this, absolutely delicious! The only thing I did differently was to add chicken broth because the soup was getting very thick- that also gave me some extra soup! I also added in two smoked ham steaks at the end and I used a smoked ham shank for the soup bone.
I love it Forrest!! Yes, you can definitely control the consistency by doing just what you did, nice work 🙂
This was delicious 😋 had to add some salt and pepper.
I’m so happy to hear that Amber thanks so much for the great comments!❤️
Hi! Just curious if this can be done with a frozen ham bone (leftover from Christmas)? And if so, are there any adjustments other than cook time you’d make to the recipe if starting from frozen?
Hi Marika! If you’re adding a frozen ham bone, I would probably start the “cook time” in the recipe once the bone is thawed 🙂
Thank you Stephanie!! 🙂 Just to clarify, would you still add everything to the pot at the same time with the frozen bone? Or simply frozen bone + liquid, then add everything else & proceed with the recipe as normal once the bone is thawed?
My apologies, I wasn’t clear! I would add the bone and the liquid, let it thaw a bit, then add everything else and bring it to a boil! 🙂
I made your split pea soup in my crockpot exactly like to said, (first time ever in a crockpot) AND IT WAS AMAZING! Started on high for 3 hrs but had to leave midstream so turned to low for next five 5️⃣ hrs. Removed the bone and shredded the meat, Added a bouillon packet, Gave it a couple spins with my immersion blender and hubby was WOWED, served with homemade bread and salad! Best dinner ever! Thank you again for another wonderful recipe!
Nice work Natalie! Sounds like you really nailed it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
Excellent! I tried with the Instant Pot. Perfect instructions. Thank you.
Yayyyy! Thanks Kelly!❤️
Excellent made it tonight with leftover ham, no ham bone so used real smoked bacon bits, added better than boulion chicken Fantastic! Will make again!
Nice work Linda! Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the review!❤️
The split pea turned out perfectly seasoned and not salty. Used a hambone left over from Christmas Dinner. So pleased with the success of using my Instapot with this recipe. Super easy and delicious!
I am soooo happy that it was a hit Diane!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! :)-Stephanie
Easy and delicious. Made in crock pot. Thank you!
I’m so glad that it was a hit Marg, thank you so much!
On the ingredient list, it says to ‘see notes’ regarding the water. I don’t see any note that pertains to this. Help !
Hi Betty! It’s not clear, I will fix that! This is the notation: “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 (water) to add more flavor if needed.”