Ingredients:
- Hambone – I like to use a hambone that has meat left on the bone.
- Split peas -These are different than canned or frozen peas, they are dried beans you will find them in the same are of the grocery store that you find dried beans.
- Water – I like using water in my soup, but if you prefer you can use a vegetable or chicken broth instead.
- Onion
- Celery
- Potatoes – I like to add potatoes to my soup, but this can be omitted if you like.
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Bay leaf
Helpful Tips:
- Before adding the split peas make sure to rinse and remove any debris.
- There is no need to soak the split peas before adding them to the soup. They will soften as they cook with the hambone.
- The onions, carrots, celery, and garlic are added after the ham bone is removed from the soup. Normally I like to sautee the vegetables before adding them to the soup for more flavor, but with this soup, I don’t do that. This soup has so much flavor that this step can be skipped.
- Season the soup at the end of the cooking. I like to add salt and pepper but always taste before adding the seasonings. I have added marjoram with to this soup if you want to add something besides salt and pepper.
- The soup keeps in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, to keep for a longer time store in a freezer container and freeze. The soup freezes well.
Steps on how to make Split Pea Soup:
Step one:
Rinse split peas and remove any debris that may be in the split peas.
Step Two:
In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add the ham bone, split peas, and water bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and cook for 1 hour to 1/2 hours.
Step Three:
Remove the ham bone and set aside to cool. Stir in the vegetables and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and continue to cook for 1/2 hour to an hour.
Step Four:
Remove the meat from the bone, cut into bite-size pieces and return to the soup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
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Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large meaty ham bone
- 1 pound dried green split peas
- 8 cups water
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 cup carrots sliced
- 1 large potato cubed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the split peas and remove any debris
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven add the split peas, ham bone, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours stirring occasionally.
- Remove ham bone and set aside to cool. Stir in the vegetables and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and reduce heat cook for 30 minutes or 1 hour or until the vegetables are tender and the soup is the desired consistency.
- Remove the meat from the bone, cut the meat into bite-size pieces and return to the soup. Heat until the meat is hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Notes
- Rinse the split peas before adding them to the soup.
- No need to sautee the vegetables before adding them to the soup.
- Season the soup add seasoning at the end of the cooking time to avoid over seasoning.
- The soup will thicken as it cooks.
- Freeze the soup if it is not eaten in 4 days, in a freezer container.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on April 16, 2013. It has been updated with new content and pictures on January 13, 2020.
Marta @ What should I eat for breakfast today
It looks super delicious. I got crazy about soups lately and your recipe is on my list to do.
Pam
One of my very favorite soups. Yours looks hearty and comforting.
Kitchen Riffs
One of my favorite soups! I make it several times a year, substituting ham hocks or shanks when I don’t have a ham bone (which is usually the case). Yours looks terrific! Thanks for this.
Liz Berg
This is one of my hubby’s favorite soups. I usually cheat and use one of those packaged mixes with peas and seasonings, but I need to try your version. Bill would be thrilled 🙂
angiesrecipes
Easy to prepare and so tasty and comforting!
Pam
It sounds great and Bill would love this, thanks for the recipe!
David @ Spiced
Ah, this is a classic! Not only is it a healthy way to get back on track after the holidays, but this is a great way to use the ham bone, too. There’s so much flavor there! Now I just have to convince Laura to let me use the ham bone – she usually saves it to make a Pennsylvania Dutch soup that she calls pot pie. (It’s nothing like pot pie, for the record. Haha.) Now I’m craving a bowl of split pea soup!
John / Kitchen Riffs
Glad to see this recipe again — LOVE split pea soup! Particularly when made with a ham bone. Love the color of it, too — so nice, isn’t it? Thanks!