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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Absolutely delicious! I made a couple of adjustments. I couldn’t see wasting that bacon by throwing it out so I cut it into little pieces and sautéed it in the butter until just brown, then I removed it and continued with the rest of the recipe, adding it back in with the ham. Also, since I like a super chunky soup I doubled the carrots and the celery. A perfect soup for a cold night. Two thumbs up from the husband as well. I served it with the buttermilk biscuits which are also a winner.
I did the same with the bacon and extra vegetables, minus the biscuits! It’s very good!
I love all your recipes and my family is so happy I discovered you!! Is there any chance this could be done in an instapot?
So glad you like the recipes, Debbie! I don’t have enough experience with an instant pot to tell you confidently whether or not this would work in one, so you may want to take a peek at these tips. It looks like they could be useful. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
OMG This is the first soup of any kind I have ever made, and it came out perfectly! I didn’t deviate from the recipe, and I just gobbled down a bowl! It’s delicious, has a wonderful texture and flavor, with a yummy aftertaste that I can’t quite put my finger on (is it the herbs?). The vegetables are perfectly cooked, not mushy, and it gives the creamy pea base a full chunky spoonful. I even topped it off with homemade croutons, for which I used “good French bread”. I never knew croutons could be so easy to make! I admit, a had a few cubes before the soup! I am so grateful for the recipe, and will definitely make it again.
Just realized, the aftertaste may be from the smoked bacon, as it is almost a buttery brown sugary taste… nothing overpowering… just a slight mmmm after the spoonful!
I am in love! Have never made split pea and ham soup before, and so have suffered for years not getting any. Just wow, so good and easy. Made exactly as written, only didn’t use all the ham in soup, half the amount was enough for my taste. Thank you. Going to make another pot on weekend, did double this time, x3 next pot.
This soup was absolutely delicious!! I made the croutons with English muffins. Oh and I baked the croutons. It was my best split pea soup ever!!
Jenn,
I’m going to try using a smoked Turkey leg instead of the ham. Do you have any suggestion as to the spices? Thyme out, paprika in? Or just leave it alone??
Jack
PS: I love this soup!!!!
Jack
I’d just leave it as is (and so glad you like the soup)! 🙂
Hi Jenn,
I have some leftover smoked ham hocks from making your Smokey White Bean Ham Hock Soup (which was a huge hit by the way) and I was wondering if I could use those here instead of the ham steaks. Do you think that would be good? Thanks! Can’t wait to try making this one!
Sure, I think you could get away with hocks here (and glad you liked the white bean soup)!
Thanks! Would I still need to add the bacon?
While it’s not mandatory, I’d use it just for the additional flavor.
I made your soup with 2 changes :
1) I prefer yellow split peas instead of green, they have a slightly different flavor. I also use them because some in my family don’t like the green, I think it’s just a childhood association of some kind.
2) I left out the bacon, it seemed like a lot of fat. I used a thing called “cashew cream” that I found on the web (who knows where?). It’s a cup of cashews in a measuring cup, barely covered with water and soaked until you have to add more (about 1 -2 hours), then liquefy in a blender. For me, this smoothed out the texture, thins out the viscosity, and adds a subtle nuttiness to the flavor, which I like. In the end, I’m not sure I added or lost fat or calories, but at least it’s plant fat!
Questions
1) I browned the ham in the pan to get some of that flavor, which it did, but when I shredded the ham later, it was hard as a rock! Will the ham be softer if I do not brown it?
2) I have previously simmered the soup until the peas are completely dissolved. This time, I stuck to your schedule and did not simmer so long. The result was that the peas did not completely dissolve, but they had to be crunched with my teeth when I ate the soup. Not chewed, just crunched. This is new to me, but I think I like it. Could you comment on how thick or thin the soup you like the soup to be?
Anyway, Bravo on a great recipe !!!! Jack
Hi Jack, glad you liked the soup! To answer your questions:
1) Yes, the ham would be softer if you didn’t brown it.
2) The beans really should be soft. In terms of thickness, I describe it as medium (it shouldn’t be as thick as a vegetable purée).
Hope that helps!
I agree, mine were not completely soft either. I followed the directions. Maybe I needed to turn the heat up a bit more?
Hi Wendy, sorry you found the split peas were not completely softened. I don’t think you need to turn up the heat, but next time I’d add about five minutes to the cooking time and then check them before moving onto the next step in the recipe.
I rarely award anything five stars these days, but this recipe absolutely deserves them. I made it exactly as written and it is the best split pea & ham soup that I have ever made in my life. Thank you once again, Jenn. Your work is so helpful to your many readers and their families.
I never leave comments but needed to come on here and say the flavor of this soup is off the chain 😋 so simple and yet so delicious!!!!