Make this creamy Split Pea Soup with Ham using leftover ham or a ham bone. Simmer it with split peas and the perfect blend of seasoning for a delicious meal everyone will love. I've included instructions for making it on the stovetop, in the crockpot, and in the Instant Pot.
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Anytime I make a ham, whether it is a Double Smoked Ham or a Baked Ham With Pineapple Glaze, I use the leftover ham to make this pea soup.
The flavor is amazing, and it goes fantastic with a side of Biscuits from scratch without milk, my Fluffy Air Buns, or Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread to soak up the broth.
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Ingredients You'll Need
The following ingredients are used to make this delicious split pea soup with ham:
- Dried Split Peas
- Ham Bone
- Diced Ham
- Onion + Garlic
- Carrots + Celery
- Chicken Broth
- Seasoning: Bay leaves, dried thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
See the printable recipe card below for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.
How To Make Split Pea Soup With Ham
Rinse the Split Peas: Place the dried split peas in a colander or fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. Pick through the peas and remove any debris or discolored peas. Drain and set aside.
Sauté the Vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until they become translucent (4-5 minutes). Add the diced carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes more.
Rinse the dried peas and soak them. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
Add carrots and celery.
Season the Soup: Add the ham bone (if using), diced ham, chicken broth, and water to the pot. Season with bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine everything.
Simmer the Soup: Cover with a lid, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Serve the Soup: Remove the ham bone and bay leaves from the pot. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Add the leftover ham or ham bone to the pot with the liquid, split peas, and seasonings. Simmer for one hour.
Remove the bone (if using) and bay leaves and serve immediately.
Top Tip
For a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to puree some of it until you get your preferred consistency.
What to Serve with Leftover Ham Split Pea Soup
Serve the soup hot with crusty bread, dinner rolls, croutons, or soup crackers. You can also use toasted bagels or bread for dunking. Garnish with chopped fresh herbs if desired.
You might also like:
Substitutions
- Ham: Instead of leftover diced ham, use a ham bone, ham hocks, or just add bacon.
- Split Peas: While I used green split peas, you can also use yellow split peas or canned or dried lentils.
- Vegetables: Add potatoes, parsnips, turnips, or corn to make the soup mixture heartier.
- Chicken Broth: Use Smoked Chicken Stock or vegetable broth instead.
How To Store And Reheat
Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in the pot with the lid on or in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Freezer: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, then heat in a pot over low-medium heat until hot. The soup will thin out as it heats up, but you can add a splash of chicken broth or water to thin it if it is too thick.
Top Tips
- If your ham bone has a lot of meat on it, you do not need to add extra diced ham.
- The longer the soup simmers with the ham bone, the more flavorful it will be.
- Add other vegetables, such as diced potatoes, to make the soup even heartier.
How to Make it in the Crock Pot
- Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with olive oil then transfer to the crockpot.
- Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
- I would add 6 cups of liquid instead of 8 (4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water), or use 8 cups for a thinner, broth-like soup.
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
How to Cook it in the Instant Pot
- Press 'Sauté' on your pressure cooker and sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil.
- Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
- Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
- Secure the lid, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release.
- Shred the meat from the bone, then remove the bone and bay leaves and discard.
FAQ's
No, you don't have to soak split peas before cooking. However, you should rinse them with water first, and they will need to be cooked longer until they are tender.
While both are legumes, split peas are peas grown specifically for drying, while lentils are the seeds of a plant that are dried.
You can keep a ham bone in the refrigerator in a ziploc bag for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
A ham bone is from the leg of a pig and contains a lot of meat, while a ham hock comes from the bottom of the pig's leg, near the ankle, and does not contain much meat.
Green split peas have a sweeter flavor while yellow split peas have a milder flavor. They both thicken up and taste delicious!
More Soup Recipes
Looking for more soup recipes? Try these next:
Side Dishes
These are my favorite sides to serve with this old-fashioned split pea soup with ham:
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Printable Recipe
Split Pea Soup with Ham
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried split peas 16-ounce bag
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 large celery stalks diced
- 4 cups chicken broth 900 mL
- 4 cups water
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups of cooked ham
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Split Peas: Place 2 cups of dried split peas in a colander or fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. Pick through the peas and remove any debris or discolored peas. Soak for 1 hour in cold water. Set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent (4-5 minutes). Add the diced carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes more.
- Season the Soup: Add the ham bone (if using), the diced ham, chicken broth, split peas, and water to the pot. Season with bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine everything.
- Simmer the Soup: Cover with a lid, bring the soup to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- Serve the Soup: Remove the ham bone and bay leaves from the pot. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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Notes
- The longer the soup simmers with the ham bone, the more flavorful it will be.
- Add other vegetables, such as diced potatoes, to make the soup even heartier.
- If you want a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to puree a portion of the soup.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
- Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with olive oil then transfer to the crockpot.
- Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
- I would add 6 cups of liquid instead of 8 (4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water), or use 8 cups for a thinner, broth-like soup.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.
- Press 'Sauté' on your Instant Pot and sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with olive oil.
- Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
- Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
- Secure the lid, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
- When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release.
- Shred the meat from the bone, then remove the bone and bay leaves and discard.
Nutrition
The provided nutrition information is automatically calculated. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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