Split Pea Soup with Ham
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Cozy up with a bowl of homemade split pea soup, packed with veggies and smoky ham. This simple, hearty soup is a meal in itself and perfect for chilly days when you need something satisfying and comforting.
Split pea soup is a classic American dish made from split peas and a pork-rich broth. While traditional recipes call for a smoked ham bone, finding one at modern-day supermarkets can feel like a treasure hunt. This recipe, adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, has a genius workaround: simmering thick-cut bacon and ham steak—both easily found in any supermarket—in the broth to give the soup that classic smoky, meaty flavor.
This split pea soup recipe is easy to make and brimming with flavor. I love topping it with crunchy croutons, but it’s just as delicious with crusty artisan bread, drop biscuits, or cornbread on the side.
“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: This is the savory base of the soup, adding depth and richness that complements the natural sweetness of the peas and vegetables. Be sure to use low-sodium broth to balance out the saltiness from the pork.
- Water: Added to adjust the soup’s consistency.
- 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: Split peas are hulled, dried, and split peas, available in both green and yellow varieties. Green split peas are slightly sweeter and the most common choice for split pea soup. Yellow split peas are milder and often used in Indian dal recipes. They’re similar to lentils (both are legumes) and don’t need to be soaked before cooking. As they cook, the peas break down, naturally thickening the soup and giving it a creamy texture.
- 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
Start by sorting through the split peas to remove any rocks or debris, then rinse them and let them drain. While that’s happening, heat the butter in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and salt, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant—just be sure not to brown it.
Add the broth, water, ham steak, bacon, peas, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves to the pot.
Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent the peas from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender but not falling apart, about 45 minutes. Remove the ham steak, then stir in the carrots and celery.
Continue to simmer, covered, until the vegetables are tender and the peas have almost completely broken down, another 30 minutes or so. Meanwhile, shred the ham steak into small, bite-sized pieces using two forks, then cover it with foil to keep warm.
Discard the thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and bacon slices. Add the shredded ham to the soup. Bring it back to a simmer, then grind in a little pepper and taste to adjust the seasoning as needed.
Depending on how salty the ham and bacon are, you may want to add a little more salt. Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down, and it thickens even more as it sits. If it’s too thick, just add a bit of chicken broth or water to reach your desired consistency, and don’t forget to taste and adjust the seasoning afterward.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with fresh croutons. Split pea soup can be made up to 3 days ahead—the flavor actually improves as it sits—or frozen for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Split Pea Soup with Ham
Packed with wholesome ingredients and rich, smoky flavor, this split pea soup is a satisfying, cozy dish for a cold day.
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!!