Split Pea Soup

5 from 2 votes

This split pea soup recipe is made with homemade ham bone broth, flavorful chopped ham, tender peas, and savory veggies. It's easy to make and perfect for a cold winter night.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Rebecca Warfield

Equipment

Stock Pot or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 ham bone
8 cups water
2 tablespoons butter unsalted or salted
2 celery stalks diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1/2 onion diced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 pound cooked ham diced
1 pound dried split peas rinsed
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Make the Broth. Place the ham bone in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cover with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 hours. You'll need 6 cups of ham broth when finished.
1 ham bone, 8 cups water
Strain the Broth. Remove the ham bone and strain the broth. Set the broth aside. Rinse out the pot before continuing with the soup.
Sauté the Veggies. Melt the butter in the pot over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp and the onion is translucent.
2 tablespoons butter, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, 1/2 onion
Add the Garlic. Toss in the garlic. Cook until just aromatic. Do not overcook the garlic, or it will turn bitter.
2 garlic cloves
Deglaze the Pot. Pour in a ladleful of the ham broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom and sides.
Add Ham. Add the ham to the pot.
1 pound cooked ham, 1 pound dried split peas
Add the Broth. Pour in 6 cups of the ham broth. Stir to combine.
Add Peas. Add the split peas and stir to combine.
2 bay leaves
Simmer. Add the bay leaves. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1.5 hours, or until the split peas are very tender and the soup has thickened. Stir occasionally.
Enjoy! Remove the bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm. The soup will continue to thicken and develop flavor as it cools.
salt and pepper to taste

Video

Notes

Rinse the split peas well to remove any dust or debris. I rinse them until the water runs clear.
Don't worry about soaking the peas. They will cook right in the broth.
Stir the soup frequently to prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
Because the ham is usually salty, I hold off on the salt until the end to make sure I don't use too much.
To save time, you can skip making the broth and use chicken broth instead.

Nutrition