This easy homemade Split Pea Soup recipe is silky, hearty, filling, and so flavorful. I’ve prepared it with green split peas, tender vegetables, smoky ham, and a perfectly seasoned broth, so it’s incredibly satisfying and hits the spot on a cold day. I used ham hocks, but it’s a great use for leftover ham, too!

Easy Split Pea Soup Recipe

It seems like most people who say they don’t like split pea soup have only ever tried it out of a can. This makes me weep! My homemade version will change your mind—it’s nothing like that glop you’re familiar with.

A low and slow simmer for about 90 minutes with dried split peas, meaty ham hocks, tender vegetables, and a perfectly seasoned broth results in a silky, hearty, and flavorful classic soup that fits the bill on a cold night. I love all these features of this soup, and that it’s good for you. In addition to the vegetables and chicken broth, split peas are high in protein and fiber, making them very nutritious.

Just a reminder that split peas are completely different from the frozen peas we love and put in recipes like bacon and peas pasta and creamed peas. They’re a specific type of pea that is grown for the purpose of being dried for long-term storage. The outer hull is removed, then the peas are split in half, thus “split peas.” Because of their tiny size and being split in half, they cook faster than most other dried legumes, and do not require pre-soaking.

Recipe Tips

• Use fresh peas. Even though split peas have a pretty lengthy shelf life (like a year!), it’s advisable to use them before the “best by” date stamped on the packaging. Old peas take a lot longer to cook and sometimes never become tender.
• Green and yellow split peas are interchangeable. Some people think green and yellow split peas taste the same, but I actually think the yellow variety is sweeter. They do cook the same, though, and this soup can be made with either.
• Thicken the soup. If the soup isn’t thickening as much as you’d like, leave the lid off for the last 30 minutes. You could also peel and dice a potato during the last 20-30 minutes, which will make it thicker once puréed. Keep in mind that the soup will thicken as it rests and cools.
• Chicken broth. I use low-sodium broth, so I have control over how salty the soup is. You can also do a 50/50 ratio of broth and water to cut back on calories, but it’s more flavorful when using all broth.
• Add salt at the end. Some ham hocks are very salty, so I recommend waiting until the soup has cooked before adding more salt.
• Use leftover ham. If you have a leftover meaty ham bone from a spiral ham you served for a holiday dinner, this is the perfect home for it.

How to Make Split Pea Soup Step by Step

Gather your ingredients: Sort through 1 lb. of peas and remove any stones, and then rinse and drain them.

Cook the veggies: Warm 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 onions, 2 celery stalks, and 2 carrots, cooking until the onion is softened and translucent. This usually takes me about 5 minutes. Add 1 clove of garlic and cook 1 more minute until fragrant.

Cook the peas: Place the peas in the pot, along with 1½ tsp fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf, 2 ham hocks, and 2½ quarts chicken broth. Bring it all to a simmer.

Skim the fat/scum off the top of the soup for several minutes, until the scum ceases to rise. (This is optional.)

Simmer: Partially cover and simmer about 1½ hours, or until the peas are tender, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Puree the soup: Remove the ham hocks and bay leaf from the pot. Discard the bay leaf and place the ham hocks aside to rest while you puree the soup. Shred or dice the meat into pieces.

Blend the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender until the desired consistency is reached. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer the soup to a countertop blender (in batches) and purée until smooth. (If you want a super smooth soup, pass the purée through a sieve.)

Return the puréed soup to the pot and heat until steaming. Stir the ham meat into the soup, and add a splash of lemon juice. Taste, and add a pinch of salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve: Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons and parsley or chives.

What to Serve with Split Pea Soup

I find this soup is perfect garnished with a few crunchy croutons, Dutch oven bread or homemade garlic bread for dunking. I finish the soup off with a splash of lemon juice, but a little dollop of plain Greek yogurt or sour cream is delicious, too. To make it more of a rounded meal, I’ll often prepare a shaved Brussels sprouts salad to eat with the soup.

How to Store

Allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Leftovers will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The soup will thicken as it chills, but thins out once reheated. If the consistency is thicker than you want, thin it with a little broth or water.

To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe, airtight container up to 3 months. Leave a ½ inch gap in the container to allow for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a saucepan over low heat on the stove.

More Soup Recipes

• Hungarian Mushroom Soup
• Beef Stew
• Chicken Noodle Soup
• Ham and Potato Soup
• French Onion Soup
• Tomato Soup