Split pea soup with ham is a thick and comforting soup that’s loaded with smoky ham, sweet carrots, celery, onion, and creamy split peas. Our version includes a recipe for the best garlic croutons which can be piled on when serving. We’ve also included suggestions on how to make this vegetarian so it is really a dish that can be enjoyed by all!
Split pea soup with ham is one of my favorite soups of all time.
The rich smoky flavor of the ham hock adds wonderful depth to the soup and is perfectly balanced by the sweet carrots.
I always serve my split pea soup with garlic croutons because they just make it better!
And the croutons would be great with many of our other soups, like Tuscan white bean soup or Italian lentil soup.
A cup of split pea soup would be a perfect side to a hot roast beef sandwich, but a bowl of it would be substantial enough to be a meal alongside a simple salad.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Preheat the oven to 350f and dice 8 ounces of ham, 5 medium carrots, 3 celery ribs, and 1 medium onion. Mince 3 cloves of garlic and slice 3 cups worth of bread into 1-inch cubes.
- Add the cubed bread to a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. If you would like more croutons, just increase the amount of oil and seasoning.
- Spread the bread mixture out onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted but still chewy inside.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or soup pot to medium-low and add a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil along with half of the carrots, and all of the celery and onion. Saute until very soft taking care to not burn (about 12-15 minutes). Once soft, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add a smoked ham hock or ham bone and 16 ounces of dried split peas along with 1 large bay leaf, 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock, and 4 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot leaving about 1-inch open. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
- After 20 minutes of simmering, add the remaining carrots and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer the soup, slightly covered and stirring occasionally, for about 60-75 minutes until the soup thickens and the peas break down.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the diced ham, and if the soup is too thick, add a touch of water to thin it out. On the other hand, if the soup is too thin, just increase the heat a bit to help it thicken. Continue to stir while doing this to prevent sticking.
- Taste test the soup, making sure there are no hard peas – if so, just continue to simmer until soft. Season the split pea soup with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving, remove the ham bone and bay leaf. Serve in bowls and top with garlic croutons. Enjoy!
Top tips for perfect split pea soup with ham
- Split peas. Before using your split peas, it’s best practice to sort through them before using and discard anything that might not be a pea. Since split peas are for the most part sorted in factories, sometimes a small pebble will make its way in with the peas.
- Cooking time. The time is a general guide. Make sure there are no hard peas left before serving. If there are, just continue to simmer until they have all softened.
- Ham. Most grocery stores will sell ham hocks and smoked ham hocks to use in soups, etc. If you can’t find a ham hock, you can use ham or deli ham that’s been sliced thick. I’ve even used thin-sliced deli ham in a pinch and it’s still good. This is also a great time to use up a hambone from a spiral ham! Since the ham is so salty, I suggest not adding any salt until tasting right at the end.
- Serving. As with most soups and stews, they will taste better the next day. If you can wait to eat your split pea soup, it will be worth it. Or just enjoy the enhanced flavor of your leftovers! I do suggest making the homemade garlic croutons as they do make the soup better and add great texture but if you prefer to skip that step, the soup will still be great!
- Modifications. To make this split pea soup vegetarian or vegan, simply replace the chicken stock with water or vegetable stock and omit the ham. If you want some smoky flavor, smoked paprika has incredible flavor and will enhance the split pea soup greatly!
More hearty soup (and chili) recipes
Here are a few of our favorites we know you’ll love!
- Escarole and white bean soup – pancetta, onion, garlic, and cannellini beans.
- Classic chili – ground beef, beans, ancho and chipotle chili, cumin, and cinnamon.
- Roasted butternut squash soup – a creamy blend of apples, roasted carrots, and butternut squash.
- Lemon chicken orzo soup – tender chicken, carrots, celery onions, and orzo pasta with lemon.
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Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients
For the split pea soup
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 5 medium carrots diced, divided
- 3 celery ribs diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 smoked ham hock or ham bone
- 1 16-ounce bag split peas see notes below
- 4 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 4 cups water
- 8 ounces ham diced - can use deli ham, cooked ham, etc
- salt and pepper to taste
For the croutons
- 3 cups bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the croutons
- Begin by tossing the crouton ingredients together. Spread the croutons out onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake at 350f for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted but still chewy on the inside.
For the split pea soup
- Heat a large Dutch oven to medium-low and add the olive oil along with half of the carrots, and all the celery and onions. Saute until very soft without burning (about 12-15 minutes). Once soft, add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
- Add the ham hock, split peas, bay leaf, low-sodium chicken stock, and water. Bring soup to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot, leaving about 1-inch open. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.
- After 20 minutes of simmering add the remaining carrots and stir to incorporate. Continue to simmer the soup, stirring occasionally, for roughly 60-75 more minutes to thicken and break down the peas.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the diced ham. If the soup is too thick add a bit of water to thin it out. Conversely, if too thin, just increase the heat and stir frequently while cooking until the soup has reduced and thickened to your liking.
- Taste test the soup, making sure there are no hard peas. If so, just continue to simmer until soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Before serving remove and discard the ham bone and bay leaf. Serve in bowls and top with the garlic croutons. Enjoy!
Notes
- Split peas should be sorted before use. Discard anything that is not a split pea. Sometimes small rocks can get through the factory sorting process.
- Smoked ham hocks add amazing flavor to this soup. Ham hocks and the diced ham are salty. For this reason, do not add any salt until taste testing before serving.
- For a vegetarian option, sub chicken stock for water and omit the ham and ham hocks. Smoked paprika can be used for a smokey flavor in place of the ham.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Leftover split pea soup tastes even better the next day!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love this recipe, will definitely try it. My mom made both split pea and whole pea soup. She would add white hominy to it for added texture and now I do when I find it in the store. I will try yours with the bay leaf and smoked hock. I love your recipes and videos very easy to follow. Thank you
I’ve made this soup several times. It’s quick and easy to make. Absolutely delicious. My elderly neighbors are thrilled when I bring them some. The recipe is flawless. I make it just as stated. Thank you so much!
I add barley to my pea soup because I love barley. I also add a tablespoon of powdered hot mustard. It adds to the flavor.
Try making the croutons with Russian seeded rye
Great recipe, easy and great flavor! I used smoked turkey necks.
Thank you for the vegetarian option. Iโm going to make it.
Hope you enjoy, Bonnie!
I love all your videos. I personally make my pea soup the same as you.
Thanks for the comment, Joann. So happy you’re enjoying the videos and appreciate the review!
Another fantastic recipe.
Iโve never had pea soup before but I love peas and it looked really good but also really easy so I tried it and loved it. Iโm trying it with yellow split peas tonight, and I added some fresh rosemary & thyme in a bouquet garni too so weโll see how that turns out but this is a new go-to for me! Iโm trying the Tuscan bean soup next. Thanks Jim, love your channel.
Thanks for the comment, Nancy! So happy you enjoyed this one!
Split pea soup is a staple in The Netherlands during winter.
Add slices of “rookworst” (smoked sausage) at the end, and eat it with sliced of rye bread topped with “katenspek” (a type of Dutch bacon that is first cooked, then smoked) and mustard.
Thanks for the comment, LC. The Dutch way of eating split pea soup sounds incredible!
Hi Jim, made this today. So good. I couldnt find smoked ham hocks so i used smoked turkey wings and deli ham sliced thick. It was so good. I love all your recipes! Iโve made your pasta fagioli before and it was amazing!
Hi Brenda, so happy you liked the soup and love the smoked turkey wing improv! Thanks for the comment!
Found you and your recipes pop up on my FB feed. I truly enjoyed watching the video with your family to make this soup and went out that day to buy the ingredients and cook the soup. Had to go to two supermarkets to get a ham hock, and was fortunate the butcher dept. was willing to split my package and just sell me one. Then the guy in the deli dept. was super helpful and told me to buy “Primo Taglio Off the Bone (or maybe On the Bone?) deli ham. Got one thick slice. The soup and croutons were very delicious. Thanks so much! Will be making more since your recipes seem to be up my alley!
Hi Jessica, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
Made this soup in Japan today! Delicious, and brings back memories of my childhood.
Hi Jim, so happy you liked the recipe and I appreciate the comment!
Hi Jim,
Made the split pea soup tonight, what a hit! A great balance of flavours, and very hearty. A nice move on the croutons.
Of course, being Canadian, I was looking for more garlic a la Quebecois. Might try some roasted garlic oil next time. Thanks
Hi Bruce, so happy you liked this and in my opinion, you can never go wrong with more garlic! The roasted garlic oil sounds great!