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A pot of split pea soup simmering away in the kitchen is comfort food at its best. It’s simple, filling, and built on just a few ingredients that blend to make satisfying meal with very little work. Our recipe walks you through every step, with options for both stovetop and Instant Pot cooking.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
A few key ingredients make this recipe work – here’s what to know. A complete list with quantities is in the recipe card below.
- SPLIT PEAS: Split peas are peas that have had the outer layer (seed coat) removed before drying. In comparison to most dried legumes, they break down into a creamy texture quickly and come in both yellow and green varieties. We prefer the green variety for split pea soup.
- HAM BONE: The ham bone is used to add smoke flavor to the soup, but you can still make this soup without it. Cook some bacon prior to sautéing the aromatics, omit the oil and use that fat for cooking the onion and celery. If you want more smoke flavor you can add a little smoked paprika.
- HAM: You can use leftover baked ham in this recipe, buy a ham steak or pre-packaged diced ham from the grocery store, or even get a couple of thick slices from the deli counter.
A Quick Look at Preparation
How to Make Split Pea Soup
Here’s how this dish comes together, along with a few tips for the best results. Full instructions are in the recipe card below.
Stovetop Method
Making classic split pea soup is so easy, you almost don’t need a recipe. For the stovetop version, you want to be sure to use a heavy stockpot that will keep the soup at a low simmer without burning.
SAUTÉ: Heat a oil in a soup pot, then sauté diced onion and celery until softened. Stir in the carrots, ham bone, diced ham, split peas, chicken broth, some water, and a bay leaf.
SIMMER: Bring everything to a gentle simmer with the lid slightly ajar. Let it cook until the peas have broken down and the soup is thick.
FINISH AND SERVE: Once it’s done, remove the ham bone and bay leaf, stir, and adjust the texture with more water if needed. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.
Instant Pot Method
We’ve made split pea soup both on top of the stove and in our Instant Pot and both methods produce identically delicious results. The Instant Pot method will save you about 10 minutes of cooking time and is essentially the same as the stovetop version above, with slight variations in the timing. The details are outlined in the printable version of the recipe below.
Storage and Reheating
Split pea soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to three months. Allow the soup to cool before packing in storage containers with tight-fitting lids.
The soup will thicken even more once refrigerated, so it’s helpful to have some additional low-sodium chicken broth on hand to thin it a bit when reheating.
More Hearty Dinner Soups
If hearty dinner soups make a hit at your dinner table, we’ve got some other recipes for you to try.
- Italian chicken soup combines tender chicken thighs, fresh greens, and pasta to make another one-pot dinner soup that cooks up fairly quickly.
- Pressure cooker cabbage soup made with ground turkey and smoked sausage is a budget-friendly option that’s quick to fix.
- Creamy chicken tortilla soup is a Mexican-style favorite that delivers a mild kick and creamy, cheesy texture.
- Minestrone soup is a cook once, eat twice favorite loaded with vegetables, beans, pasta, and savory Italian sausage.
Easy Classic Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 ham bone, see notes for substitutions
- 1-1/2 cups diced ham
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups water, plus more if needed
- 1 lb dried split peas, (about 2-1/4 cups)
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and sauté until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, ham bone, diced ham, split peas, chicken broth, 2 cups of water and bay leaf to the pot. Bring the soup mixture to a slow simmer and cover, leaving the lid slightly askew.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peas have broken down completely and the soup has thickened, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove and discard the ham bone and bay leaf.
- Stir the soup to blend thoroughly and if necessary, add more water until the thickness of the soup is to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls for serving.
Instant Pot Method
- Press the "sauté" button on the Instant Pot, let it heat for about 1-1/2 minutes, then add the vegetable oil, onion and celery. Sauté until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Cancel the "sauté" function and add the carrots, ham bone, diced ham, split peas, chicken broth, 2 cups of water and bay leaf to the pot.
- Lock the cover onto the Instant Pot and use the "manual" function to set the pot to cook for 18 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure by turning the steam valve to the venting position. Unlock the cover, remove the ham bone and bay leaf and discard.
- Stir the soup to blend thoroughly and if necessary, add more water until the thickness of the soup is to your liking. Season to taste with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls for serving.
Notes
Split Pea Soup Leftovers
Split pea soup will thicken even more once refrigerated, so it’s helpful to have some additional low-sodium chicken broth on hand to thin it a bit when reheating.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yes I put spam in with cut up potatoes
Great soup! Everyone loved it ❤️
Thank you Claudia. I’m happy you enjoyed it!
Hi instead of ham can a beef bone be added to o this recipe or is it possible to leave it out
Hi Margot,
I would just leave out the bone. It just adds a little extra smokiness. As long as you’re including the diced ham your soup will have plenty of flavor.
Love this recipe. It tastes just like my mother’s used to. Thank you.
Hi Linda,
I’m glad that you enjoyed the soup. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
I made it by what was said but mine didn’t get thick Smells delicious looks delicious but just not thick
Hi Salley,
It’s the split peas themselves that thicken the soup as they cook and we’ve been fortunate to never have had a problem with them not “doing their job” so to speak.
However, since the batch you had didn’t thicken the soup the way you’d hoped, you could try pureeing the soup in the blender, then adding it back in the pot to cook for a little longer. Alternatively, you could add a steamed potato cut into chunks, then puree, or add instant mashed potato flakes a few tablespoons at a time until you get the thickness you like. Potatoes won’t really change the flavor, but they will thicken liquids. Hope this helps.
I routinely add potatoes to my split pea soup and cook them along with all the other ingredients. It is a good technique for thickening soup. I also add a small amount of cognac just before serving.
Nice suggestions! Thank you.
I haven’t had split pea soup on over 35 yrs & that was from a can. Someone gave me some dried peas, so I tried this recipe. I’m SO glad I did, this is absolutely delicious!!
Hi Lara,
So glad you liked the soup. It’s one of our favorites, especially when the weather gets cold. Thanks for taking the time to let us know.
Hi there, this recipe looks great, but I was wondering if there would be a significant difference in the final outcome if I left out the bay leaf?
Hi Lauren,
While bay leaf adds an extra layer of savory flavor to the soup, I don’t think leaving it out would compromise the overall finished product. The peas and the ham impart plenty of flavor so it definitely won’t be bland.
Made the recipe as written on the stovetop. It is exactly what I wanted for Split Pea Soup. Yum!
Is this prepared any differently with ham hocks?
Hi Shannon,
Ham hocks should give the soup the same flavor without making any adjustments to the recipe.
Thanks! I made this for my father in law who just got home from the hospital after having a heart attack. He loves split pea soup and said this was the best he’s ever had! Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Shannon,
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for letting us know!
Love the recipes….I’m on a low carb diet….want more items to eat on this diet.