Split Pea And Ham Soup

This Classic Split Pea and Ham Soup is the ultimate cozy, soul-warming comfort food. It features tender green split peas simmered slowly with savory ham, aromatic vegetables, and smoky herbs until it breaks down into a rich, velvety, thick broth.

Ingredients

• The Peas & Meat:
  • 1 lb (approx. 2 cups) dry green split peas, rinsed and picked over for any debris
  • 1 large smoked ham bone (or 2 cups thick-cut ham steak, diced; leftover holiday ham works brilliantly!)
• The Aromatics & Veggies:
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
• The Broth & Seasonings:
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water, plus a ham bouillon cube if not using a meaty bone)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika (optional, enhances the smoky depth)
  • Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Sauté the Aromatics

• In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
• Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent.
• Add the minced garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika, cooking for another 1 minute until fragrant.

2. Combine the Soup Base

• Pour in the chicken broth and rinse/drain your split peas. Add the split peas directly into the pot.
• Drop in your smoked ham bone (or add your diced ham steak right away). Add the bay leaves.
• Season with a pinch of black pepper (go easy on the salt until the end, as the ham and broth will add natural saltiness).

3. Simmer Slowly

• Bring the soup to a rolling boil over medium-high heat.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid (leaving a tiny crack for steam to escape), and let it simmer gently for 1 to 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally so the peas don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
• The magic happens here: As it simmers, the split peas will naturally break down, dissolving into the broth and creating a thick, velvety texture.

4. Shred and Finish

• If you used a ham bone, carefully remove it from the pot. Once it’s cool enough to handle, pull any remaining tender meat off the bone, chop it up, and return the meat to the soup. Discard the bone.
• Stir the soup well. If it’s too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a splash of water or extra chicken broth.
• Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed. Remove the bay leaves.

5. Serve Warm

• Ladle the hot, velvety soup into bowls. Serve with rustic crusty bread or garlic croutons for dipping!

Pro-Tips for Success

• Don’t Salt Too Early: Ham and chicken broth naturally contain sodium. Wait until the final 10 minutes of cooking before tasting the soup to see if it actually needs any added salt.
• Make-Ahead Magic: Like chili, split pea soup tastes even better on day two! The flavors deepen overnight, though you may need to splash a little water or broth into the pot when reheating, as it thickens further in the fridge.