Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone

split pea soup with ham in a white bowl.

5 from 32 votes

Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone

Split pea soup with ham is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. This creamy and delicious soup made with green split peas, flavorful broth, and smoky ham is one of my favorite soup recipes, and I know it will be one of yours too.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 290kcal

Author: Chef Dennis Littley

Ingredients

¼ cup unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onion fine dice
1 ½ cup diced carrot fine dice
1 cup diced celery fine dice
coarse sea salt to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon garlic finely minced
1 lb dried split peas rinsed and sorted
1 meaty ham bone
2 bay leaf
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves finely chopped
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 cup diced ham small dice
Buttery Garlic Croutons for serving

Instructions

Rinse the peas in cold water.
Melt butter to a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat.
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery to the pot. Cook until vegetables are softened, 4-5 minutes.
Add the chopped garlic to the pot and continue to cook for 1 minute.
Add the split peas and continue to cook for 1 minute.
Add the ham bone, chicken broth, water bay leaf, and fresh thyme to the pot.
Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 60-90 minutes, stirring as needed, until the split peas are cooked and the soup is thickened to the desired consistency.
Add the diced ham and let the soup cook for 10 more minutes.
*Add additional water if the soup gets too thick.
Remove the ham bone and bay leaf and discard.
Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Serve with toasted croutons and enjoy.

Notes

*If you prefer a creamy pea soup, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, before you add the ham.

This soup is a great way to use up a leftover ham bone, but you don't have to use a bone to make the soup. Using a ham bone will add a lot of flavor to the split pea soup, but if you don't have a leftover bone, alternatively, you could use ham hocks to flavor the soup.

If you don't want to use either in your soup, it's not a deal breaker. You can still make a delicious soup without the bone, you will just need to add additional seasonings to help build the flavor.

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