Creamy Split Pea Soup With Leftover Ham (2024)

Make this delicious and creamy Split Pea Soup With Ham using leftover ham or a ham bone! Simmer it with split peas and the perfect blend of seasoning for a tasty meal everyone will love. Make it on the stove, in the crockpot, or in the Instant Pot!

Anytime I make a ham, whether it is a Double Smoked Ham or a Baked Ham With Pineapple Glaze, I use the leftover ham to make this pea soup.

The flavor is amazing, and it goes fantastic with a side of Biscuits from scratch without milk, my Fluffy Air Buns, or Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread to soak up the broth.

Ingredients You'll Need

The following ingredients are used to make this delicious split pea soup with ham:

• Dried Split Peas
• Ham Bone
• Diced Ham
• Onion + Garlic
• Carrots + Celery
• Chicken Broth
• Seasoning: Bay leaves, dried thyme, oregano, salt, and black pepper.

See the printable recipe card below for exact measurements and a complete list of ingredients.

How To Make Split Pea Soup With Ham

Rinse the Split Peas:

• Place the dried split peas in a colander or fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water.
• Pick through the peas and remove any debris or discolored peas. Drain and set aside.

Saute the Vegetables:

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chopped onion and garlic and saute until they become translucent (4-5 minutes).
• Add the diced carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes more.

Rinse the dried peas and soak them. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil.

Add carrots and celery.

Season the Soup:

• Add the ham bone to the pot if using, the diced ham, chicken broth, and water.
• Season with bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper.
• Stir to combine everything.

Simmer the Soup:

• Cover with a lid, bring the soup to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low.
• Simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Serve the Soup:

• Remove the ham bone and bay leaves from the pot.
• Serve immediately and enjoy!

Add the leftover ham or ham bone to the pot with the liquid, split peas, and seasonings. Simmer for one hour.

Remove the bone (if using) and bay leaves and serve immediately.

Top Tip

If you want a smoother soup, use an immersion blender to puree some of the soup.

What To Serve With Leftover Ham Split Pea Soup

Serve the soup hot with crusty bread, dinner rolls, or soup crackers. You can also use toasted bagels or bread for dunking. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley if desired.

You might also like:

• Irish Soda Bread Without Buttermilk
• Soft Whole Wheat Bread

Substitutions

• Ham: Instead of leftover diced ham, use a ham bone or ham hocks.
• Split Peas: While I used green split peas, you can also use yellow split peas or canned or dried lentils.
• Vegetables: Add potatoes, parsnips, turnips, or corn to make the soup heartier.
• Chicken Broth: Use Smoked Chicken Stock or vegetable broth instead.

How To Store And Reheat

Refrigerator: Store leftover soup in the pot with the lid on or in an airtight container for 3-4 days.

Freezer: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Reheating: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight if frozen, then heat in a pot over low-medium heat until hot. The soup will thin out as it heats up, but you can add a splash of chicken broth or water to thin it if it is too thick.

Top Tips

• If your ham bone has a lot of meat on it, you do not need to add extra diced ham.
• The longer the soup simmers with the ham bone, the more flavorful it will be.
• Add other vegetables, such as diced potatoes, to make the soup even heartier.

How To Make It In The Crockpot

• Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with olive oil then transfer to the crockpot.
• Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
• I would add 6 cups of liquid instead of 8 (4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water), or use 8 cups for a thinner, broth-like soup.
• Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours.

How To Cook It In The Instant Pot

• Press 'Sauté' on your Instant Pot and sauté onions, garlic, carrots, and celery with olive oil.
• Add rinsed split peas, ham bone, diced ham, and seasonings.
• Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 2 cups of water.
• Secure the lid, and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes.
• When the timer is up, let the pressure naturally release.
• Shred the meat from the bone, then remove the bone and bay leaves and discard.

Do you need to soak split peas before cooking?

No, you don't have to soak split peas before cooking. However, you should rinse them with water first, and they will need to be cooked longer until they are tender.

What is the difference between lentils and split peas?

While both are legumes, split peas are peas grown specifically for drying, while lentils are the seeds of a plant that are dried.

How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup?

You can keep a ham bone in the refrigerator in a ziploc bag for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

What is the difference between a ham bone and a ham hock?

A ham bone is from the leg of a pig and contains a lot of meat, while a ham hock comes from the bottom of the pig's leg, near the ankle, and does not contain much meat.

What is the difference between green and yellow split pea soup?

Green split peas have a sweeter flavor while yellow split peas have a milder flavor. They both thicken up and taste delicious!

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- Jeri

Split Pea Soup With Ham

Make this delicious and creamy Split Pea Soup With Ham using leftover ham or a ham bone! Simmer it with split peas and the perfect blend of seasoning for a delicious meal everyone will love. Make it on the stove, in the crockpot, or in the Instant Pot!

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 211kcal

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 748mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2479IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg

The provided nutritional information is an estimate per serving. Accuracy is not guaranteed.