Split Pea Soup
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Cozy up with a bowl of homemade split pea soup, rich with smoky bacon and ham—this soup is a hearty meal unto itself.
Split pea soup is a classic American soup made from split peas and a pork-rich broth. While traditional recipes call for a smoked ham bone, locating one in modern-day supermarkets can be quite the treasure hunt. This recipe, modestly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, has a genius workaround: simmering a few slices of thick-cut bacon and a ham steak in the broth to make the soup smoky and extra meaty.
This is one of my favorite soup recipes—it’s simple, brimming with flavor, and hearty enough to serve as a meal. I love garnishing it with crunchy croutons from a fresh baguette, but it’s equally delicious with crusty artisan bread or cornbread.
Table of Contents
“I made it exactly as written and it is the best split pea and ham soup that I have ever made in my life.”
What You’ll Need To Make Split Pea Soup
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavor backbone of the soup.
- Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup, the broth contributes a savory depth, complementing the natural sweetness of the peas and vegetables. Using low-sodium is necessary to mitigate the saltiness of the pork.
- Water: Added to adjust the soup’s consistency without diluting its flavors.
- Ham Steak: Infuses the soup with a rich, smoky flavor and also adds a hearty, meaty component.
- Bacon: Flavors the broth with a deep, smoky richness.
- Green Split Peas: The star of the soup, green split peas break down during cooking, thickening the soup naturally and providing a creamy texture without the need for dairy.
- Thyme and Bay Leaves: These herbs add a layer of aromatic complexity to the soup
- Carrots and Celery: These vegetables add sweetness, color, and a hint of bitterness, creating a balanced flavor profile.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by sorting through the split peas to remove any rocks or debris.
Rinse the split peas and let drain.
Meanwhile, heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown.
Add the broth, water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.
Remove the ham steak and place it on a plate; cover with foil and set aside.
Stir in the carrots and celery and continue to simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.
Meanwhile, shred the ham steak into small bite-size pieces with two forks. Cover with foil again.
Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Add the shredded ham to the soup.
Return to a simmer. Add a few grinds of pepper, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (depending on the saltiness of the ham and bacon you used, you may need an additional 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt).
How To Make Croutons
Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups of cubed good-quality French or Italian bread.
Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes, then let cool.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the fresh croutons. The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove; thin it with water and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Split peas are peas that have been hulled, dried, and split. They’re available in both green and yellow varieties. Green split peas are a bit sweeter and most commonly used in split pea soup recipes. The yellow variety are are milder in flavor and often used to make Indian dal recipes. Split peas are similar to lentils in that they are both part of the legume family and they don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking.
Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down during cooking and also as it sits, especially if refrigerated. If it’s too thick for your liking, you can easily thin it by adding a bit of chicken or vegetable broth, or even water, until you reach your desired consistency. Remember to adjust the seasonings if needed after adding more liquid.
Yes, the soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated.The flavors will actually improve as it sits.
Absolutely! Split pea soup freezes beautifully. Once cooled, transfer the soup to airtight containers, leaving about an inch of space at the top to allow for expansion. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove, stirring occasionally.
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Split Pea Soup
Cozy up with a bowl of homemade split pea soup, rich with smoky bacon and ham—this soup is a hearty meal unto itself.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 cups water
- 1 pound ham steak, skin removed, cut into quarters (see note)
- 3 slices (4 oz) thick-cut bacon, left whole (see note)
- 1 pound green split peas (about 2 cups), picked through and rinsed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for serving
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 medium carrots, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 medium celery rib, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh croutons, for serving (optional; see instructions below)
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Do not brown.
- Add the broth, water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes.
- Remove the ham steak and place it on a plate; cover with foil and set aside. Stir in the carrots and celery and continue to simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the peas have almost completely broken down, about 30 minutes longer.
- Meanwhile, shred the ham steak into small bite-size pieces with two forks. Cover with foil again.
- Remove and discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Add the shredded ham to the soup and return to a simmer. Add a few grinds of pepper, then taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (depending on the saltiness of the ham and bacon you used, you may need an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt). Ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh croutons, if using. (The soup will thicken as it sits on the stove; thin it with water and adjust seasoning as necessary.)
- Note: A ham steak is a thick slice of cooked ham cut from a whole ham roast. They can be found packaged in the refrigerated meat section of the supermarket, near the bacon.
- Note: Regular sliced bacon can be used, but the thinner slices are a little harder to remove from the soup.
- To Make Fresh Croutons: Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 2 cups of cubed good-quality French or Italian bread and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown and toasted, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and refrigerated, or frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. The soup will thicken once cool, so thin with water and adjust seasoning as necessary.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 431
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated fat: 6 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 15 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Sodium: 1,686 mg
- Cholesterol: 57 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Delicious! I love recipes that work out so well the first time you make them. Will be keeping this on rotation through the winter – and I don’t even really like peas!
Delicious! So much flavor. Third time making it here and everyone loves it!
hi- i am a long time fan of ATK recipes so i know this will be good, but know they usually have reasons for why to do certain steps. question: i am using the leftover ham bone from christmas dinner to make broth, and cut off all the bits and bobs to use instead of the steak, so it will be in smallish pieces and not so easy to extract. it is already cooked, so i am wondering if it is just for flavor or to soften the meat, would it make more sense to put it in a cheese cloth pouch, or cut up into smaller pieces and just never take it out, or put it in later with the carrots and celery? also, would it make sense to use the pork stock i am making instead of the water, or is water integral to cooking the peas? i am sure it will turn out delicious either way, but curious how to adapt? thanks!
Hi Gretchen, Because the ham is already cooked, I’d wait and put it in with the carrots and celery as you don’t want it to get overcooked. Also, I think the pork broth would be nice. Enjoy!
Whoa this was good and creamy! I added some double smoked ham pieces that a had from Christmas and was delish! I already had dinner but I have sampled this soup 40 times already while it was done and cooling. My husband is a split pea soup connoisseur apparently and approved of this yummy soup!
Love your recipes Jen, I have a small cut of raw semi- smoked pork on hand . Would you suggest I cook it separately or just add it raw to cook with the soup?
Hi Francesca, Glad you enjoy the recipes! I’d just cook it with the soup.
This was delicious!
Fabulous! Since we had ham for XMAS, I simply used that, including some of the fatty pieces which, I think, were a good substitute for the bacon we didn’t have around. Given that you pull the bacon out prior to serving, it seemed like it was really just there for the fat. We used normal sodium chicken broth and that worked out just fine, salt-wise. We’ll continue to use this recipe for years.
I used the ham hock with ham left overs from Christmas dinner. Did not use bacon but this soup had great flavor! Loved that it was so fast and easy and did not have to simmer all day to obtain a delicious soup. Would love a video with the step by step instructions.
I’ve done this recipe a few times and it always turns out well. The only differences are I don’t sautee the onion and celery because it can make the soup a little sweeter. Since I don’t like sweet, I just throw in the celery and onion raw with the peas. I throw in the carrots about halfway through so they’re less cooked. Also, I throw in a whole smoke ham shank with the skin vs the steak. You can find ham shanks at whole foods in the frozen packaged meat section near the frozen breakfast sausage etc. I just let the shank simmer in the peas for a couple hours until falling apart, then I take it out just like the recipe and shred – I put back only the lean meat obviously. Don’t be tempted to use broth – just use water as directed. Same recipe works for white beans and ham. Don’t soak the white beans just throw them in hard. This is my mother’s southern cooking but this recipe is my guideline. Thanks Jenn.
I haven’t had split pea soup in years and I remembered loving my grandmother’s so, I thought I would give this recipe a try and I am so very glad I did! It is delicious. The only change thing I did different was that I used hock and ham steak and cooked them in the broth, water, bay leaves, thyme sautéed onions and garlic for hours before continuing with the rest of the recipe. Everyone who shared this with me loved it and they are already asking for more! Thanks for such great recipes!
Hello Jenn,
In my household it’s a crime to throw away perfectly good bacon, so before adding it to the pot per your recipe, I cooked it off in a non-stick pan and then proceeded with the rest. The soup was a a big hit this weekend!!