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Square overhead shot of a bowl of split pea soup with ham
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5 from 2 votes

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Make this easy, healthy, split pea and ham soup on the stovetop, in the Crock Pot, or in the Instant Pot!
Course Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American
Keyword crockpot split pea soup, instant pot split pea soup, slow cooker split pea soup, split pea and ham soup, split pea soup, split pea soup with ham
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8 cups
Calories 144.7kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 ½ lbs. smoked ham hocks (or use 2 cups diced, smoked ham; 8 slices bacon, chopped; or a leftover ham bone)
  • 1 (16 ounce) package dried green or yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
  • 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (use 7 cups for a thinner soup)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon dried basil
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional garnish: cooked, crumbled bacon; chopped fresh parsley; sour cream; croutons

Instructions

STOVETOP METHOD:

  • In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic (and diced ham or bacon, if using). Cook, stirring occasionally, just until the onion is translucent, about 6-7 minutes.
    Cooking vegetables in a Dutch oven.
  • Stir in ham hocks (or ham bone, if using), split peas, broth, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for about 1 hour (or until peas and vegetables are tender).
    Adding split peas to a Dutch oven.
  • Remove the bay leaf (and ham bone or ham hocks, if using). Chop up the meat from the ham hocks or bone, return the meat to the pot, and discard the bones and fatty pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. The soup will thicken as it cools, so thin with extra broth or water, if necessary.
    Side shot of the best split pea soup recipe served in small white bowls.

INSTANT POT METHOD:

  • Turn on the “Sauté” function on the pressure cooker. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the pot, and when the oil shimmers add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic (as well as the diced ham or bacon, if using). Sauté just until the onion is translucent (about 6-7 minutes). Turn off the pot.
  • Add the ham hocks (or ham bone, if using), split peas, broth, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, basil and pepper.
  • Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select “Manual” and set the pot at “High” pressure for 15 minutes. It may take the pot up to 15 minutes to come to pressure and start cooking.
  • At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.
  • Stir well to combine. Remove the bay leaf (and ham bone or ham hocks, if using). Chop up the meat from the ham hocks or bone, return the meat to the pot, and discard the bones and fatty pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • The soup will thicken as it cools, so thin with extra broth or water, if necessary.

SLOW COOKER METHOD:

  • Place all ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for about 8 hours or on HIGH for about 4 hours (or until peas reach desired tenderness).
  • Remove the bay leaf (and ham bone or ham hocks, if using). Chop up the meat from the ham hocks or bone, return the meat to the pot, and discard the bones and fatty pieces. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • The soup will thicken as it cools, so thin with extra broth or water, if necessary.

Notes

  • This soup thickens as it cools (which is normal), so you may need to thin the leftovers with extra broth or water.
  • The recipe calls for 1 lb. of dried split peas, which is equal to about 2 ¼ cups of dry split peas.
  • Taste and season with salt at the end. The amount of salt necessary will vary greatly depending on the saltiness of your broth, your individual taste preferences, and whether you're using ham hocks, bacon, diced ham, or just vegetables. Ham can be very salty, so you may not need any additional salt at all. Taste the soup as you go and adjust accordingly.
  • Nutrition information provided below is just an automatically-generated estimate. The amount of soup that you prepare will vary depending on whether or not you're adding diced ham or bacon.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 144.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.3g | Protein: 13.6g | Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 395.7mg | Potassium: 140.6mg | Fiber: 13.5g | Sugar: 3g