Easy Classic Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup is a hearty, no-fuss meal that’s budget-friendly and easy to pull together. Made with green split peas, diced ham, and sautéed aromatic vegetables, this soup can be cooked on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot.
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
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
ABOUT THE 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.
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
Calories: 300 | Total Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 769mg | Carbohydrates: 23g | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 5g | Protein: 26g