Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone (2024)

We love making a big pot of split pea soup during the colder months. Packed with vegetables and protein, the soup is a family favorite and one of our favorite classic homemade soup recipes.

This humble, hearty split pea soup recipe features aromatics like celery, onion and carrot, plus a savory ham bone for flavor. You can easily adapt it to your tastes by adding things like potatoes or dumplings, and it’s a great make-ahead or freezer meal (everyone knows soup tastes better the next day!). Add freshly baked bread, rolls or a nice salad for a complete meal.

Split Pea Soup Ingredients

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  • Split peas: Dried split peas will double or triple their size once they’re cooked, so a little goes a long way. Like soaking beans, soaking the peas ahead of time will help them cook faster and more evenly. This recipe calls for the quick-boil soak method, but you can also soak them in room-temperature water overnight. Just drain before using.
  • Ham bone: A meaty ham bone serves as the crux of flavor in split pea soup. As the soup cooks, the meat softens and infuses all the good smoky flavor into the soup. You can then pull the meat from the bone and stir it back into the soup. Yup, this is one of those leftover ham recipes that truly uses every scrap! If you don’t have or can’t find a ham bone, try a smoked ham hock, ham steak, smoked bacon, sausage or pork shank.
  • Herbs and spices: Dried thyme and a bay leaf add a lot of flavor to this soup. A little black pepper gives some kick in the background. You can always substitute in fresh thyme if you have it on hand. Here’s our handy chart for fresh to dried herb conversion.

Directions

Step 1: Clean and soak the peas

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Sort through the split peas, checking for pebbles or other dirt, then rinse them thoroughly with cold water. Place the peas in a Dutch oven, and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, and boil for two minutes. Remove the pot from heat. Cover and let the peas stand in the water for one to four hours or until the peas are softened. Drain and rinse the peas, discarding the liquid.

Step 2: Simmer the soup

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Return the peas to the Dutch oven. Add 2-1/2 quarts water, the ham bone, onion, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, and cover. Allow to cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally so the bottom doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Finish the soup

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Remove the ham bone from the soup. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove as much meat from the bone as possible. Dice the meat, and return it to the soup, adding the carrot and celery as well. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring often, until the soup reaches desired thickness and the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf, and serve.

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Recipe Variations

  • Add cubed potatoes:Like in this hearty split pea soup recipe, potatoes can add to the creamy texture of a soup. Cook a small amount of cubed potatoes along with the carrots and celery.
  • Vegetarian split pea soup: This is an easy dish to make vegetarian. Simply omit the ham bone. If you’re able to use veggie stock instead of water, it will add some extra flavor.
  • Use stock: Speaking of stock, you can replace some or all of the water with a low-sodium chicken stock for a more savory flavor.
  • Add dumplings or sausage:Both dumplings and smoked sausage go great in split pea soup. Make dumplings just like you would for chicken and dumpling soup, or add slices of seared smoked sausage at the end of the soup’s cook time.
  • Make it in a slow cooker: Split peas are a great candidate for slow-cooker soup. Simply set it and forget it, like we do in this English pub split pea soup or this split pea soup with ham and jalapeno.

How to Store Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup will last up to five days in the refrigerator. This soup tastes even better after it sits for a day or two, which makes it the perfect dish to make ahead. To reheat, try adding a bit of liquid if it’s thickened up too much.

Can you freeze split pea soup?

Yes, you can freeze split pea soup. It’s actually one of the best soups for freezing! Let it cool, then store in a freezer-safe airtight container for up to three months. Note that it will thicken as it sits, so you will likely need to add some water or broth when you reheat it. Here are more tips on how to freeze soup.

Split Pea Soup Tips

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Do you have to soak the peas for split pea soup?

In a pinch, you can still make this soup without soaking the peas ahead. It will take longer for the soup to cook, but it will get there eventually, and it will still be delicious.

How can you thicken split pea soup?

One way to thicken split pea soup is by adding potatoes to the soup. As the potatoes cook and break down, their starches will add a natural creaminess and act as a thickening agent. You can also stir in a bit of cream at the end for richness.

What can you serve with split pea soup?

Serve your favorite bread recipe with split pea soup. Our basic homemade bread is a great place to start, as is this ultra-easy pull-apart garlic bread. A green salad would round out the meal. Here are some of our favorite side salad recipes.

Watch how to Make Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone

Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup

Not only is this old-fashioned favorite a snap to make but it's economical too. Carrots, celery and onion accent the subtle flavor of the split peas, while a ham bone adds a meaty touch to this hearty soup. It's sure to chase away autumn's chill. —Laurie Todd, Columbus, Mississippi

Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. + standing Cook: 2-1/2 hours

Makes

10 servings (about 2-1/2 quarts)

Ingredients

  • 1 package (16 ounces) dried green split peas
  • 1 meaty ham bone
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup chopped carrot
  • 1 cup chopped celery

Directions

  1. Sort peas and rinse with cold water. Place peas in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until peas are softened. Drain and rinse peas, discarding liquid.
  2. Return peas to Dutch oven. Add 2-1/2 qts. water, ham bone, onion, salt, pepper, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove the ham bone; when cool enough to handle, remove meat from bone. Discard bone; dice meat and return to soup. Add carrot and celery. Simmer, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes or until soup reaches desired thickness and vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf.

Nutrition Facts

1 cup: 202 calories, 3g fat (1g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 267mg sodium, 31g carbohydrate (6g sugars, 12g fiber), 14g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 starch, 1 lean meat.

Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone (8)

ByRisa Lichtman

Taste of Home's Editorial Process

Updated: Feb. 27, 2024

Old-Fashioned Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone (2024)

FAQs

Can a ham bone be used twice for soup? ›

Ham Bone Soup Recipes

Depending how much meat comes off the bone, you may be able to reuse it if you refrigerate it between uses. Salt and pepper the recipe to taste.

What is a substitute for ham hock in split pea soup? ›

Luckily, there is an option that is just as accessible as ham hock, which can be found in nearly any supermarket. Smoked turkey meat, sold generally as legs or wings, is a worthy substitute for ham hocks, providing a comparable level of savory meatiness and smokiness.

How many cups of split peas are in a pound? ›

A one-pound bag of split peas contains about 2 cups, enough to make two batches of this soup, and costs about $1.

Why is my split pea soup not getting soft? ›

Note: Split peas should soften just fine in this amount of cooking time. They do not need presoaking. If your split peas are hard after this length of cooking time, there is something wrong with the peas or with your water. If the peas are very old and dried out, they won't soften.

How long can you keep a ham bone before making soup? ›

For best results, try to use your frozen ham bone within three months. There may be some loss of flavor if you keep it longer, and any bits of meat and cartilage remaining on it may get freezer burn or dry out. Ham bones are packed with so much rich, flavor.

How long do you leave bone in soup? ›

Bone broth should be cooked for a minimum of 12 hours.

Although a richer, thicker stock is achieved with 24 to 48 hours.

What soup can be made from ham bone? ›

You can either make this soup using leftover ham and a ham bone or you can use a meaty ham shank. If you use a ham bone, you'll add the chopped ham at the end of cooking. If you are using a ham shank, you'll need to remove it after the soup cooks.

Can you buy just a ham bone for soup? ›

I usually get between 1 1/2 cups and 2 cups off one ham bone, plus the bone itself gives the soup a silky, rich consistency. You may have to do a bit of searching before you find them at your grocery store. Sometimes they're in the butcher's case, other times they're wedged onto a far shelf of the refrigerated section.

What can I use to thicken a pea & ham soup? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How do you add flavor to a bland split pea soup? ›

How do I add flavor to bland split pea soup? Using onions, garlic, and fresh spices like thyme will add flavor to the soup. The real trick to making a bland pea soup extra tasty is using a bone or ham hock in the soup during the cooking process. Chicken broth will also add flavor to the soup.

How much water do I use for 2 cups of split peas? ›

Cooking. Bring about 1.5 cups of water or broth to a boil for every cup of lentils or split peas. Add the lentils, allow water to return to boiling, reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes, depending on the variety.

Why are my split peas still hard after cooking? ›

If your split peas don't get soft, it's more likely they are old or were stored in a container that wasn't airtight. Even though they keep for quite a while, dried beans don't keep forever.

Should split pea soup be thick or thin? ›

Split pea soup naturally thickens as the peas break down during cooking and also as it sits, especially if refrigerated. If it's too thick for your liking, you can easily thin it by adding a bit of chicken or vegetable broth, or even water, until you reach your desired consistency.

How do you fix bland split pea soup? ›

The common denominator will probably be meat (ham bones are common), more salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to take a shortcut, you could use bouillon cubes or paste to provide both meaty flavor and salt, though pork is a lot harder to find than chicken or beef. Salt and pepper you can just stir in.

Why is split pea soup so gassy? ›

Why is pea soup so gassy? Pea soup is gassy because when bacteria in the digestive tract digest small sugars called oligosaccharides that are present in the beans, it creates gas.

How many times can you use a hambone? ›

Although you may be able to use a ham bone again for soup, if not all of the meat comes off of the bone, most of the flavor you can get from the bone will be used up the first time you use it to make soup. If you want to try to reuse the bone, refrigerate it and use it again within a couple of days.

How many times can you use a soup bone? ›

Generally, doing a third (or more) use of the bones for broth will extract very little flavor, mostly only giving you a bit of the remaining gelatin. Any flavor that does still exist will also become increasingly unbalanced.

How many times can you reuse bones for soup? ›

Use Your Bones Again and Again (and Again) Consider reusing your bones in batch after batch of broth until your bones disintegrate or until you simply get tired of the whole process and want to clean out your crock pot. Each batch of broth will have less flavor than the previous, but it will have nutrition nonetheless.

Can you use a ham hock more than once? ›

Hocks (or pork knuckles) are the extreme shank end of bones in pig's legs and are smoked for that wonderful ham flavor. Even better, you can reuse the bone for an amazing stock for future bean recipes.

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