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This soup has officially made me a Split Pea and Ham Soup fan ❤️.
I have never loved Split Pea Soup, but this easy one pot soup has made me a fan because of the depth of flavor developed by the ham and bone, so AMAZING 😋! Because this soup was so delicious and I had lots leftovers, I decided I would share it with some of my neighbors and reviews were great 🙏!
If you still have Easter ham bone in the freezer, it’s time to dig it out and make this comfort food. I hope you enjoy as much as my neighbors, cheers 🥂!
Some Notes
- Ham Bone – This is what delivers the flavor! After cooking a ham roast, hold onto that bone and use it within a few days or freeze for later usage (freeze for up to 4 months). I kept some ham on the bone because I knew I wanted to make Split Pea and Ham soup. When you simmer the ham, the excess ham will become so tender it will fall off the bone! At the one hour mark, remove the bone and ham and pick or cut the ham off the bone. Also don’t forget to dig the marrow out from the ham bone because that is deliciousness!
- Ham Bone Substitutions: If you can’t get your hands on a ham bone, here’s some other options:
- Bone-in Shoulder or Picnic Shoulder
- Smoked Ham Shank
- Salted Pork
- Covering the Ham Bone – This soup calls for 8 cups, i.e. 4 cups chicken broth and 4 cups water. You want to make sure however that your ham bone is covered during simmering. If you find you still have your bone exposed, cover with additional water. Trust me the soup will still get nice and thick even with extra water added.
- Split Peas – Look in your grocery store in the dried bean section, you’ll find them! No need to soak, since they’re split. Simply rinse the peas and you’re ready to go!
- Veggies – No need to saute the veggies because all the flavor comes from the bone and ham. Dice the veggies into small bite equal sized pieces.
- Thick and Delicious – Simmer low and slow. By cracking the lid slightly, you allow the soup to reduce and thicken. The potatoes also help to thicken as the scratch in the potatoes will add extra thickness. Also no salt is needed in this soup because the ham is naturally salty. Of course taste at the end and add salt if your taste buds can handle it, but I doubt you will need it.
- Cooking Options – The recipe below is for the stove top, but you could also cook this soup in the Crock Pot/Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. Just like the Stove Top recipe, begin by preparing the ingredients and rinsing the peas.
- Crock Pot
- Add all the ingredients to the Crock Pot, except the butter.
- Cook on low for 8+ hours on low and 6+ hours on high.
- Remove the bay leaves and ham bone. Cut the ham off the bone and return to the instant pot with 1 TBSP of butter.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
- Instant Pot
- Add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, except the butter.
- Secure the lid and set it to manual for 30 minutes.
- Once finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15-20 minutes. Cook on low for 8+ hours on low and 6+ hours on high.
- Once the pressure has released, remove the bay leaves and ham bone. Cut the ham off the bone and return to the instant pot with 1 TBSP of butter.
- Serve warm and enjoy!
- Crock Pot
- Leftovers – This soup is even more AMAZING as it sits in the fridge. Use within 3-4 days or freeze for later. Use the frozen soup within 3-4 months.
Split Pea and Ham Soup
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth, I used low sodium or you could make own and I have a recipe here!
- 4 cups water, you might need more to cover the bone
- 1 lb bag dry split peas
- 1 ham bone with meat, aim for 2 cups of ham if your bone does not have a lot of meat on it
- 1 medium-sized onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 TBSP garlic powder
- 1 tsp poultry seasoning
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1 TBSP unsalted butter
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients and rinse the peas in cold water and allow to drain.
- In a large stockpot add all ingredients except for the potato and the butter. If the liquid doesn't cover the ham bone, add additional water to cover the bone.
- Bring the ingredients to a boil. Once boiled, reduce to a simmer for several hours (crack the lid slightly), aim for 4-5 hours to build the flavors.
- With an hour remaining, remove the ham bone and cut off the ham. Add the ham back to the stockpot with the potatoes. As those potatoes cook, the starches will release and thicken the soup more.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaves and add 1 TBSP of butter to finish the soup. Serve warm, enjoy and cheers 🥂!
