Easy Split Pea Soup - A hearty, homemade and delicious split pea soup with chunky vegetables and lots of flavor. A perfect way to use leftover ham bones!
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Easter is quickly approaching, and by now, it's probably fair to say that if you're the one making the meal, you've likely purchased a ham to serve on the big day. While not all families serve ham on Easter, the majority do.
In fact, last year, the National Pork Board predicted U.S. retail ham sales for the three weeks leading up to Easter would be at about 108.6 million pounds.
After the Easter meal, many of us are left with bones from the ham, and today, I'm begging you NOT to throw them out. Instead, make this delicious recipe for Split Pea Soup!
It's the perfect way to use up any leftover ham bones, and tastes a hundred times better than anything store bought! It's simmered low and slow for a hearty soup that’s infused with all the delicious flavors that remind you of grandma's recipe.
The key to the flavor in this soup is the ham bone. If you don't have a ham bone, you can always purchase some hocks from the grocery store!
HOW TO MAKE EASY SPLIT PEA SOUP
To make pea soup, you'll need:
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- Ham bone or ham hocks
- Seasonings: Marjoram, thyme, parsley, dill, black pepper, basil
- Chicken broth
- Bay leaves
- Dried split peas
- Cooked ham
- Instant potato flakes, optional
- Salt, optional
Made with fresh veggies, ham, and infused with flavorful spices, this soup is hearty and delicious. Follow the steps below to make your own homemade split pea soup.
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add ham bone to stock pot.
- Stir in spices, chicken broth, bay leaves and split peas. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover and allow to simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone and bay leaves from soup.
- Add cooked ham and simmer covered for 30 more minutes or until the majority of the peas have broken down, stirring occasionally.
Once the majority of the peas have broken down, taste the soup. Add salt or pepper to taste. If the soup is too thin, add the potato flakes. However, if the soup is the right consistency, leave the potato flakes out.
Once you have the soup to a consistency that suits you, serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley and dill if desired.
Enjoy!
TIPS FOR THE BEST SPLIT PEA SOUP
- Make it heartier. If you want an even heartier soup, add some diced yellow or red potatoes when adding your other veggies.
Note: If you do end up dicing up some potatoes, you can omit adding any potato flakes. - Soup will thicken as it cools. As the soup rests and cools, it will thicken. So, if you aren’t sure of the consistency, let it cool for about 10-15 minutes before adding the potato flakes.
- Rinse and drain the split peas. Before cooking, be sure to rinse and drain your split peas so they cook correctly.
DO I NEED TO SOAK SPLIT PEAS OVERNIGHT?
Nope! Soaking split peas overnight shortens their cooking time, but is not necessary for this recipe. If you soak the split peas, you will only need about 40 minutes of cooking time instead of 90 minutes.
HOW DO I STORE LEFTOVER PEA SOUP?
You can store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Keep in mind the soup will continue to thicken in the refrigerator. Once you reheat it, it does thin back out a bit. If it is still too thick, you can add water to thin it out a bit more.
CAN I FREEZE SPLIT PEA SOUP?
Yes! In fact, split pea soup makes a great freezer meal. To freeze this soup, let it cool completely. Then, pour it into a freezer proof airtight container or ziploc freezer bag. Store the soup in the freezer for up to 3-months.
Keep in mind that the soup will expand as it freezes so be sure to leave a ¾ inch gap from the soup to the top of the container. When you are ready to eat the soup, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top until warm.
MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE
- Cheeseburger Soup
- Cheesy Broccoli Soup
- Alphabet Vegetable Soup
- Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Potato Corn Chowder
Easy Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large onions (diced)
- 1 cup celery (diced)
- 3-4 medium carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- Ham bone (or use 1 ½ pounds ham hocks)
- 1 teaspoon each of the following dried spices: marjoram (thyme, parsley, dill and black pepper)
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 16 ounce package dried split peas, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups cooked ham (diced)
- 1 tablespoon instant potato flakes (optional (add if you'd like a thicker consistency))
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional (I recommend waiting until the end to taste the soup before you add the salt to determine whether or not it's needed).)
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
- Fresh dill for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, about 6-7 minutes.
- Add ham bone to stock pot.
- Stir in spices, chicken broth, bay leaves and split peas.
- Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to low. Cover and allow to simmer for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove ham bone and bay leaves from soup.
- Add cooked ham and simmer covered for 30 more minutes or until the majority of the peas have broken down, stirring occasionally.
- Taste soup to determine if you'd like to add some salt. If so, add it here at the end.
- Add potato flakes if you'd like a thicker consistency, otherwise omit if the soup is thick enough.
- Serve warm, garnished with fresh parsley and dill if desired.
Notes
- Before cooking, rinse and drain your split peas.
- As your soup cools, it will thicken.
- Add in potatoes or other veggies to make this soup heartier.
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