Split Pea Soup with Ham
This split pea soup with ham recipe is made with split peas, savory ham, and a flavorful combination of fresh vegetables. It’s hearty, easy to make, and bursting with mouth-watering flavors!
What I love about this recipe is how thick and flavorful it is. It’s pure comfort food in a bowl with a perfect melding of hearty flavors. Using smoked pork shoulder gives this split pea soup recipe a nice smokey taste, too.
I also love that you can use up holiday leftovers to make this soup. It’s a good use of your leftover ham, smoke shoulder, or ham hocks.
For love of the soup… and peas
I love this pea soup for two reasons:
- It’s soup
- It has my favorite meat in it
The other pea soup recipe that is forever memorable and unbelievably delicious was my mother’s. I don’t have her exact recipe but I’ve gotten as close as I can to her original. One of the main differences is that my mom used to make homemade noodles and then add them to her pea soup.
I have never attempted to make Mom’s delicious triangles of homemade noodles to add to my recipe because I feel like I’d be disappointed. I’ve also never met anyone who’s had noodles in their pea soup.
But let me tell you, it was scrumptious.
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Helpful tips
- Make sure to rinse and pick over the split peas. Here’s how: Add the split peas to a sieve and run cold water over the peas. Swish your fingers around the peas. Pick out any ‘bad’ peas or foreign matter.
- Some people soak their split peas. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. The reason to soak peas is if you have digestive issues, because soaking makes them easier to digest. I am not soaking the split peas in this recipe.
- If you DO want to soak your peas, here’s what to do: Rinse and pick over the split peas. Add the peas to a stockpot and add 8 cups of water. Turn the heat to high under the pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat, cover the peas and let it sit for at least an hour.
- If you want this soup on your table faster, check out my instant pot version.
- I almost never use low sodium broth. Here’s why – every low sodium broth I’ve seen adds sugar to the broth to make up on taste. Even though I love sweets, I don’t like adding sweetness to foods that don’t usually have it.
- I almost NEVER peel potatoes before adding them to soup. I love the nutrients that the potato skins provide. Do what you prefer.
- The longer this soup sits, the thicker it will get. It is always thicker the next day.
- Can’t eat the soup all in one sitting? No worries, just package this soup in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- This soup also freezes well. Again package the soup in an airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- When you reheat this pea soup, you will probably have to add water to make it less thick. Add 1/4 cup to start.
How to make split pea soup with ham
Pre-step
Get a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – split peas, onion, celery, carrots, potato, leftover smoked shoulder (with bone) or ham. (A)
Step two
Chop the onion and carrots in medium chunks and slice the celery.
Step three
Turn the heat on medium under the pan and once it heats up, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Step four
Once the oil heats up, add the carrots, onion, celery, pepper, and salt. (B)
Step five
Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. (C)
Step six
Wash and pick over the split peas. (See Helpful Tips for how.) Add peas to the vegetables. (D)
Step seven
Add the ham bone if you have it. (Mine is from a smoked shoulder.) (E)
Step eight
Add 4 cups of chicken broth and a bay leaf. (F)
Step nine
Turn the heat up to medium/high heat until the broth comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer. Everyone’s stove is different, just make sure you have a slight boil. Simmer for an hour. Stir every 15 minutes.
Step ten
Right before the hour is up, cut up the potatoes into little cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup. Make sure the soup comes to a simmer again and cook for 20 minutes. (G)
Step eleven
Cut your leftover smoked shoulder or ham into chunks. (H)
Step twelve
Add the meat, and fresh thyme if you have it, to the soup, and let it cook for another 10 minutes. If you don’t have fresh thyme, you can add a teaspoon of dried thyme now. (I,J)
You will know that the pea and ham soup is done if the peas have broken down and the soup has thickened.
Once it’s done, take the bone out of the soup, remove any meat still clinging to the bone and add to the soup or eat it because you can.
I transfer the split pea and ham soup to a serving bowl. I add more fresh thyme because I love the herb with this pea soup.
Time to serve this delicious soup.
And taste it.
So good.
I hope you enjoyed this split pea soup with ham recipe.
Other delicious soups
As always, may all your dishes be delish!
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Split Pea Soup with Ham Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 carrots (cut in chunks)
- 2 stalks celery (sliced)
- 1 pound split peas (dried – rinsed and picked over)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 – 3 cups smoked shoulder or ham (chopped, already cooked)
- 2 medium potatoes (cubed – or 1 large potato)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 bay leaf
Optional
- smoked shoulder or ham bone
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
Instructions
- Rinse split peas and take out any rocks or bad peas.
- Chop the onion and carrots in medium chunks and slice the celery.
- Turn the heat on medium under the pan and once that heats up, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- Once the oil heats up, add onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper. Sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add split peas, ham bone if you have it, 4 cups of chicken broth and a bay leaf.
- Turn the heat up to medium/high until the broth comes to a boil. Lower the heat to a high simmer and cook for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
- Right before the hour is up, cut the potatoes into smallish cubes and add them. Bring the soup to a high simmer again and cook for 20 minutes. Check the potatoes doneness before moving to the next step.
- Cut up smoked shoulder into chunks, add to the soup, bring back to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes. The soup should be thicker and the peas will have broken down.
- Take the ham bone out if you used one and remove any meat still clinging to the bone. Add meat back to the soup.
- Serve
- Eat
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Make sure to rinse and pick over the split peas. Here’s how: Add the split peas to a sieve and run cold water over the peas. Swish your fingers around the peas. Pick out any ‘bad’ peas or foreign matter.
- Some people soak their split peas. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. The reason to soak peas is if you have digestive issues, because soaking makes them easier to digest. I am not soaking the split peas in this recipe.
- If you DO want to soak your peas, here’s what to do: Rinse and pick over the split peas. Add the peas to a stockpot and add 8 cups of water. Turn the heat to high under the pot and bring it to a rolling boil. Turn off the heat, cover the peas and let it sit for at least an hour.
- If you want this soup on your table faster, check out my instant pot version.
- I almost never use low sodium broth. Here’s why – every low sodium broth I’ve seen adds sugar to the broth to make up on taste. Even though I love sweets, I don’t like adding sweetness to foods that don’t usually have it.
- I almost NEVER peel potatoes before adding them to soup. I love the nutrients that the potato skins provide. Do what you prefer.
- The longer this soup sits, the thicker it will get. It is always thicker the next day.
- Can’t eat the soup all in one sitting? No worries, just package this soup in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- This soup also freezes well. Again package the soup in an airtight container and place it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- When you reheat this pea soup, you will probably have to add water to make it less thick. Add 1/4 cup to start.
