Split Pea Soup
This cozy split pea soup simmers dried peas with a meaty ham bone (or smoked ham hock), classic aromatics, and gentle herbs until velvety and rich—pure comfort in a bowl.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 290 kcal
Dutch Oven
Ladle
Wooden spoon
Soup Base
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 celery ribs diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb dried green split peas rinsed and picked over
- 1 meaty ham bone or smoked ham hock
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cups water plus more as needed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- salt to taste (add at the end)
Warm the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly sweet, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the split peas, ham bone or smoked ham hock, chicken broth, water, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat.
Reduce to a gentle simmer, partially cover, and cook—stirring occasionally—until the peas are very tender and beginning to break down, 60 to 90 minutes. Add splashes of water as needed to maintain a soup-like consistency.
Remove the bone or hock to a cutting board. Discard bay leaves. Shred any ham from the bone, discarding skin and excess fat, then return the meat to the pot. Season with pepper and salt to taste.
For an extra creamy texture, mash the soup lightly with a potato masher or blend a portion with an immersion blender, then stir back in. Adjust thickness with additional broth or water as desired, and serve warm.
Salt thoughtfully: ham and broth both add sodium, so wait to season until the end of cooking, then adjust to taste.
Texture tweaks: if the soup is too thick, loosen with a bit of hot water or broth. If it’s too thin, simmer uncovered for a few minutes to reduce.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days. The soup thickens as it cools; thin with water or broth when reheating over low heat, stirring often.
Freezer-friendly: Cool completely, portion, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently with added liquid as needed. Calories: 290kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 20gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 940mgPotassium: 900mgFiber: 15gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 7100IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 70mgIron: 4.5mg
Keyword Comfort Food, ham bone, Split Pea Soup