Split Pea Soup Recipe

Split pea soup is the ultimate comfort food. Loaded with vegetables like carrots, celery, onion, and peas, this soup recipe provides cozy nourishment that we all desire in winter months. The addition of cubed ham, a ham hock, and seasoning brings the hearty and filling flavor to this dish.

Recipe developer and registered dietitian nutritionist, Kristen Carli, MS, RD, recommends "serving this up for a weeknight meal during those cold winter months topped with some grated Parmesan cheese and with a side of crusty bread for dipping." We happen to agree! Carli also says that "this dish is a great recipe to make for your weekly meal prep. Make a big batch on the weekend and store in the fridge in airtight containers for those busy weeknight meals." Keep reading to learn how to make this delicious split pea soup in under an hour and a half.

To make this split pea soup, you will need water, onion, carrots, celery, dried split peas, vegetable broth, crushed rosemary, dried thyme, salt, pepper, a smoked ham hock, and cubed ham. Carli notes that the "ham hock is used for adding smoky, hearty, and rich flavor to this soup, while the cubed ham in the final dish provides some protein and substance to this soup." We love the idea of using a ham hock to enhance the soup flavor. Most grocery stores will sell ham hocks near the meat section.

In a large stock pot over medium heat, add two tablespoons of water. To this, add your diced onion, sliced carrot, and diced celery. Carli advises to "use water instead of oil or butter to saute these vegetables, as the flavor of this soup ends up very rich. We can cut out the extra fat, by substituting water for the more typical oil." Carrots, celery, and onion are often used as a base for soup. This combination is often called a mirepoix.

Allow the vegetables to cook and sweat down. When the diced onion becomes translucent, after about five minutes, add the dried split peas, the vegetable broth, and the water. Once these ingredients have been added, give the entire mixture a good stir. Carli recommends "using 4 cups of vegetable broth to 4 cups of water here to ensure a good balance of flavor and liquid to this soup. If desired, you can use all 8 cups of veggie broth if you want a very savory and salty split pea soup."

Now, add your crushed rosemary, dried thyme, salt, pepper, and ham hock to this stock pot. Again, give this mixture a good stir. Remember, the ham hock is simply for flavor here and will not break down into this soup. We will be removing it after we cook this soup. Bring this soup to a boil and then lower to a simmer. Once simmering, cover the stock pot with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes of simmering, open the lid, remove the ham hock, and discard it. It's job here is done. Your split pea soup should smell heavenly and full of flavor. Keeping the heat at low, use an immersion blender to blend about ⅓ of this soup. Carli notes that she likes to "keep some chunks in the soup and not have it completely blended, but feel free to blend completely smooth if you prefer."

Now that your soup has been blended, add in the cubed ham. Give the soup a good stir and heat this over low for about 10 minutes. This will allow the soup to continue simmering and the cubed ham will warm through. Once those 10 minutes are up, you are ready to serve. You can scoop up a bowl as is or you can top with a little grated Parmesan cheese if desired.