Ham Bone Split Pea Soup
If you love homemade split pea soup, this ham bone split pea soup is the best. It uses a bag of dried split peas, a handful of fresh vegetables and a leftover ham bone for a whole pot of easy split pea soup that’s ready in just over an hour. Skip the broth or stock, making split pea soup with ham bone gives it just the right flavor.
Chicken soup may be good for the soul, but this split pea soup recipe is one of the homiest dishes you can make. As a waste-not, want-not kind of gal, I love that it uses a leftover ham bone to create an entirely new meal.
Initially, I had misgivings about putting this recipe on the blog. Not because of any flavor issues — but let’s face it — homemade split pea soup — that particular shade of green — doesn’t inspire you to devour bowl after bowl.
That’s okay. Close your eyes—it’s the rich flavor, lush texture and savory aroma that keep you coming back. Trust me, this is how my Mom has been making it for more than 50 years.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- This economical recipe uses leftovers (the ham bone), dried peas and ingredient staples with plain water from the tap.
- It’s quick and easy for all perfect for beginner and expert cooks – no fancy techniques, equipment or skill required.
- It makes a large pot to feed the family.
- Split peas don’t need an overnight soak or hours-long cooking time – so it’s ready to eat in just over an hour.
- The ham bone is the key to this recipe. As it simmers with the other ingredients, the bone releases natural collagen, which flavors the broth and provides a velvety texture and mouthfeel to the dish.
Ingredients:
- Dried Green Split Peas—You can also use yellow split peas. The only difference is the color, not the taste, and they cook at the same rate.
- Olive Oil – Use an everyday olive oil or even Canola oil, for sauteeing the vegetables (mirepoix)
- Celery – makes up one third of the aromatics for the pea soup.
- Carrots – adds a bit of sweetness and pop of color to the recipe.
- Onion – though sharp and pungent when raw, this allium cooks down into a soft, sweet flavor to enhance the split pea soup.
- Garlic Cloves – You don’t have to use garlic if you don’t want to, but to me it fills out the flavors and makes the soup even better.
- Leftover Ham Bone – many people use leftovers from Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter to make split pea soup with ham — and this recipe is always popular around those times.
- Fresh Thyme – or use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme.
- Bay Leaf – adds flavor while simmering. Discard before serving.
- Water – fresh from the tap.
- Salt & Pepper- for seasoning to taste.
Step-by-step instructions:
- Sort through the dried split peas to remove any bad peas, pebbles or detritus that may have found its way into the bag. (I’ve actually found tiny pebbles when sorting).
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot until it shimmers. Add the mirepoix of vegetables (carrots, celery, onions and garlic) with ½ teaspoon of salt and saute until the vegetables are tender and fragrant and the celery and onion are slightly translucent.
3. Add the ham bone to the pot.
4. Add the beans, bay leaf, thyme bundle and water. (You’ll want to add enough water to nearly cover the ham bone, so if the recommended 6 cups doesn’t do it, you can add more.)
5. Heat the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about one hour.
6. Once the peas have broken down and the soup has thickened, remove it from the heat. Transfer the ham bone to a cutting board and let it rest until it’s cool enough to handle.
7. Cut away any extra ham clinging to the bone and add it back to the pot. You’ll be surprised how the simmering will loosen the meat, and it will practically fall off the bone. I like to cut the ham into small chunks or shred it with a fork for a rustic, homemade appearance.
8. Stir the extra ham into the soup and taste for seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Pro-Tips:
- Don’t bother stripping fresh thyme leaves from the stem; tie them in a bundle with some kitchen string and toss the whole thing into the pot. The thyme leaves will fall off the woody stem as the split pea soup and ham bone simmer. Then, pluck them out with a pair of tongs before serving.
- Add more water, about ½ to 1 cup at a time, if the soup is thicker than you’d like, until it’s the right consistency for you. Some folks like it really thick, and others prefer a brothy consistency. It’s your choice — just be sure to taste for seasonings and adjust as necessary.
Swaps and Variations:
- If you like thicker soups, let it simmer without the lid, for more evaporation. For thinner soups, simmer with the lid on — and add more water as you like. I’ve shown several bowls that vary in viscosity — so it really is up to you how thick or thin you like it.
- For chunkier soup, add diced potatoes (about 1-2) as the soup simmers.
- If you don’t have a ham bone, you can use ham hocks or smoked turkey wings, adding a rich, smoky, meaty flavor to the split pea soup. Ham hocks don’t have much meat, but the collagen will add body and flavor. Turkey wings have a surprising amount of meat, so be sure to pull it off the bones to add back to the pot.
- Swap chicken stock or vegetable broth for the water to enhance the flavor.
- For a spicy kick, add ½-¾ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make a vegetarian version by omitting the ham bone and perhaps adding smoked paprika for more depth of flavor.
FAQs
Split peas are like lentils in that they’re so small, there’s no need to soak them ahead of time before cooking. They will become tender and delicious in under an hour.
Different people like their soups differently. This recipe can be made thick or thin, according to your tastes. The longer the soup simmers, the more evaporation and the thicker it gets. You can add more liquid if it’s too thick. Keeping the lid on the pot helps hold in moisture so it’s brothy.
For more flavor, add some seasonings (and taste after each addition, so you don’t go overboard), such as, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, smoked paprika or a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce. Another idea is to top the soup with garnishes like toasted croutons, crispy bacon or pan-fried country ham. Also try these seasoned oyster crackers for flavor and a crunchy texture.
Storage
- Store the pea soup recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Reheating
- Reheat the soup on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it’s hot or by the bowl in the microwave in 30-second to 1-minute bursts, stirring after each until the soup is hot. If it’s too thick, add some water and stir to combine to thin the soup.
Freezing
- This recipe freezes well and can be kept frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.
This recipe is a family favorite. It’s loaded with chunks of ham, veggies and creamy green peas—you won’t even notice the color because it tastes so good.
More ways to use dried peas:
More easy bean soups:
Ham Bone Split Pea Soup
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 6-7 quart Dutch Oven or large, heavy stock pot
INGREDIENTS:
- 12 ounces dried split peas
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 leftover ham bone
- 4 sprigs thyme leaves tied with kitchen string
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups cool water
- salt and pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
- In a large dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 3 carrots, ½ cup onion, 2 stalks celery and 2 cloves garlic. Saute for five minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add 1 leftover ham bone, 12 ounces dried split peas, 6 cups cool water , 4 sprigs thyme leaves and 1 bay leaf. Stir and cover. Heat to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low.
- Simmer for one hour with the lid off or set askew so steam can escape. When the peas have broken apart and soup is thick it's ready. If the ham bone split pea soup is too thick, add additional water, ½-1 cup at a time.
- Remove ham bone and and let it cool until you can handle it. Pull any excess meat off the bone and dice or shred it into bite-sized pieces. Stir in the ham and heat through.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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This is one of the easiest and best split pea soups I’ve ever had. I wonder if I could use other smoked things, like ham hocks or turkey legs to flavor the soup, too.
May I do this in the slow cooker and if so for how long?
About 5 hours in a slow cooker on low or until the peas are soft and falling apart. Add additional water as necessary to get the consistency you want.
Easy recipe to follow, I had no ham bone only ham cutlets and diced them. I also used 3 bay leafs and puréed 2 cups of the soups once it was cooked. It was awesome!!
Came out wonderfully. I added minced garlic for flavor.
You do not indicate whether to cover / uncover when simmering
In step 2 of the recipe card it says to “stir and cover”. Hope that helps.
Good ole split pea soup. This turned out great, but I had a huge ham bone so had to boil bone for 2 hours prior to adding peas and vegetables.
Should I add some of the juice that the ham baked in?
Absolutely, if you have it.
Making this tomorrow for my family! Do I have to use a Dutch oven?
You can do this in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or a slow cooker.
Mine turned out great! Easy to make also.
I’m making the soup it is done but to soupy what can I do to thicken it ? I’ve already taken some peas and mashed them. Was wondering if I brought it to boil and let it cook down a bit?
If you simmer it at medium or medium-low for an additional 15-20 minutes without the lid, some liquid should evaporate and the soup will be thicker. It will also thicken as it cools.
My husband never liked split pea soup so I rarely made it. I made your soup recipe and he likes it. I make it often now. Very easy recipe.
Followed recipe as printed except use dried thyme. Came out great and delicious.
I just bought a Lodge dutch oven, and i use it quite frequently, with amazing results. I made this soup tonight, and it was fabulous! I did not have fresh thyme or bay leaves. So i subbed with 1 tblsp italian seasoning. The flavor was magnificent. Great recipe, it is now a part of my soup group!
I have always been afraid to make this soup, it was my favorite that my dad made when I was a kid. This recipe was easy and it came out just right. Only issue is I accidentally blended the bay leaf. I mixed all the ingredients except some extra ham and carrots, cooked them down for an hour, then blended it (guessing I blended 2 bay leaves, can’t find them so guess it’s ok). I then added the soup back to the pot and added the extra ham pieces and carrots. My house smells amazing!
LOL – that’s too funny about the bay leaf! I’m glad you like the soup, tho!
Hi Lisa, will not having celery effect it too much?
You can make it without the celery if you don’t have any, but it’s part of a classic mire poix, so get some for your next pot of soup!
I have yellow whole peas on the stove, they’ve been cooking about an hour and a half (and finally softening) and I also have chicken bones in the instant pot as i like to use my own broth, I plan to put the ham bone in the instant pot today as well to get some of that goodness. Tomorrow I will salute my veggies and add everything together and simmer, my question is, should I use the water the yellow peas are in as well or should I drain them and just add them to tomorrows broth?
I would use the same liquid you cooked the peas in. If they didn’t break down on their own, you can puree a cup or so to give the soup the creamy texture. See this post on yellow peas that I did… https://www.garlicandzest.com/yellow-peas-with-smoked-sausage/
Spruced mine with chicken stock and no olive oil, Butter makes everything better, and definitely cooked longer for a creamier soup.
Going to make this today, can I use 16oz of dried split peas? I have a 16oz bag and I know if I only use the 12oz recommended the rest of the peas will sit in my cupboard until they’re not good anymore.
by all means use the 16 oz. You may need more water, but that’s ok.
Yes
Can you use dried thyme if you don’t have fresh? How much?
Sure. Half a teaspoon works fine.
Hi I’m trying to make this right now. I only have hamhocks. Ok to use?
Yes, you can use ham hocks, but you probably won’t get any meat from the bones, however, it will flavor the soup nicely and add body.
We tried making some split pea and ham soup (Not your recipe unfortunately). Soaked the peas overnight, brought mixture to a boil in a dutch oven and simmered for a couple hours. Peas never got soft. What brand peas do you use? We used Goya split peas. HELP PLEASE. We both enjoy this type of soup but don’t want to make again, afraid same thing will happen. Thanks Dan
I’ve used Goya split peas as well as Iberia. Split peas don’t need to soak overnight, generally, and will break down in the soup when simmered for a long time. Do you know how old your dried peas were? Sometimes if they’re past their best buy date, you may have to cook them longer and may require more liquid (sometimes up to 2-3 cups more). Rest assured, they will eventually absorb the liquid and soften up. Just give it more time.