This Split Pea and Ham Soup is such delicious and easy comfort food. With very little prep time, you get an amazing soup everyone will love.
One of the reasons I like soup recipes so much is that you can get a complete meal with very little hands-on time. This Split Pea Soup with Ham is no exception. While it takes over an hour on the stovetop, the time involved in preparing it is minimal.
It is the perfect way to use up leftover ham and is a delicious dinner that the whole family is sure to love.
Split Pea Soup Ingredients
I love how few ingredients you need for this great comforting soup. For the full list of ingredients and their measurements, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Dry split green peas: The star of the dish, green split peas offer a hearty, creamy texture when cooked. There’s no need to soak them beforehand, but be sure to sort through them to remove any debris and rinse them well before adding them to the soup. Read more on this below.
- Dried thyme: Brings an earthy, savory note to the soup. Dried thyme is perfect for slow-cooked dishes like soups and stews, as its flavor develops nicely over time.
- Carrots: Add both sweetness and color, balancing the savory flavors of the peas and ham.
- Onions: Add depth and a slight sweetness once cooked down.
- Celery: Like the onions, add to the depth of the soup.
- Ham: Using leftover ham is a great shot-cut in this recipe, read more on this below.
- Lemon Juice: Adds a freshness that works so well with the ham and the peas.
- Salt and pepper: Ham naturally adds saltiness to the soup, so it’s important to taste the soup at the end and adjust the seasoning as needed.
How to Prepare Dried Green Peas
Dried green peas are so great to have on hand because they last in your pantry for so long. While they don’t need to be soaked before adding to this soup, you should prepare them.
- Spread your dry split green peas out on a baking sheet.
- Sort through them to make sure there are no rocks or stones.
- Rinse them in a colander, and drain them.
How to Make Split Pea Soup With Ham
This split pea soup is super simple to make. For the full printable recipe, make sure to head to the bottom of the post.
- Cook the split peas. Add water, seasonings, and the green peas to a Dutch oven or stock pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for one hour. This will help the peas achieve a nice and tender consistency in the final soup.
- Add the vegetables. Add in carrots, onions, and celery, and cook for 25 minutes.
- Add the ham. Cook the soup until the ham has warmed through, about 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust the soup. Add the lemon juice and more salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!
Ham for Split Pea Soup
I think this is the perfect recipe to enjoy after the holidays with some of your family’s leftover ham. I have a delicious honey baked ham recipe. And if your family doesn’t totally gobble it up on Easter or Christmas, it is perfect to cut into cubes and use in this soup.
That being said, ham steaks are readily available in the meat department of your grocery store. You can make this great soup all year long.
Keep in mind that ham steaks are fully cooked. So you really just need to cut it up and add it to this fantastic soup.
Honey Baked Ham
Variations
- Make it vegetarian: Simply leaving the ham out of the recipe in Step 3 will leave you with a delicious vegetarian soup.
- Add more flavor: If you still have the leftover ham bone from your Christmas ham, throw that in the pot at the beginning. It will bring some great flavor to the soup.
- Use yellow split peas: You can easily swap the green split peas with yellow split peas. The two cook the same, so the rest of the recipe can remain as it is.
Storing and Freezing Split Pea Soup
I love how easy soup is to store and freeze. After allowing this recipe to cool, you can put leftovers in an airtight container and stir in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat on the stovetop over low heat. This soup will thicken as it sits, so if you want to thin it out just add a little water when reheating.
To freeze, place in a sealable container. Allow room for the soup to expand when it freezes. Freeze for up to two months.
Please keep in mind when reheating leftovers, any food not eaten should be discarded and not stored again.
Other Great Ways to Use Leftover Ham
If you have leftover ham and need more ways to use it, check out some of our other favorites:
If you loved this ham and split pea soup recipe (or any of my other recipes) come back and leave me a comment to let me know!
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound split green peas sorted through for rocks, and rinsed (453.6 grams)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more to taste (see note)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 8 cups water (1892.7 ml)
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into half moons
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 8 ounces ham cubbed (226.8 grams)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the water, salt, pepper, green peas, and thyme to a large stock pot or large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, covering. Simmer for 1 hour.1 pound split green peas, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, 8 cups water
- After an hour, add the carrots, onions and celery. Cook for 25 minutes or until the peas are soft, tender, and beginning to break down.2 medium carrots, 1 large yellow onion, 2 celery stalks
- Add in the diced ham and cook about 10 minutes or until it is warmed through.8 ounces ham
- Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.2 tablespoons lemon juice
Notes
Micheline Briere says
My mom used to cook a ham shank and add the peas half way thru. Your way seems a lot easier thanks
The ham shank definitely deepens the flavor, but I wanted to give another method too. I hope you like it!
Jennie says
I have never made much a delicious pea soup as this.
This is so flavorful … I love it, Thanks
Glad you like it!
Cathy says
This looks amazing and with leftover Easter ham – perfect! Thanks for sharing.
Can this be made in a crockpot?
Hi Cathy! I’m sure it can be made in the slow cooker, but I haven’t tried that yet and can’t give you specifics on the amount of liquid you need or the timing. I will add it to the list!
Mollie Bean says
It’s in the pot! I added A couple bay leaves and a ham bone in the beginning (first hour) I then added the ummm more than 8 oz diced ham I think it’s a delicious recipe so far
I hope you loved it Mollie!
Hilda Froese says
I tried the soup yesterday. Absolutely delicious. I used a ham bone for more flavour and it turned out great. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
I’m so happy you liked it Hilda!