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American · British

Split pea soup with ham

Non-vegetarian

A thick, smoky green split pea soup simmered with a ham hock or diced ham, carrots and celery — a budget classic that happily cooks itself in a slow cooker.

Split pea soup with ham is an American soup, ready in about 1 hour 45 minutes and made with green split peas (dried) and ham. It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
1 h 30 min
Total
1 h 45 min
Serves
6
Level
Beginner
Calories
393

Ingredients

6 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Melt the butter (opens in a new tab) in a large pot and soften the onion (opens in a new tab), carrots (opens in a new tab) and celery (opens in a new tab) for 8 minutes. Add the garlic (opens in a new tab) for 1 minute.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Add the split peas, ham (opens in a new tab) (or hock), water, bay and thyme (opens in a new tab). Bring to the boil, skim, then simmer partly covered, stirring now and then, until the peas have collapsed into a thick purée.

    • 75 min
    • low heat

    Slow cooker: put everything in and cook on Low for 8 hours or High for 4–5 hours.

  3. Step 3

    If using a hock, lift it out, shred the meat and return it, discarding skin and bone. Remove the bay leaves (opens in a new tab).

    • 5 min

  4. Step 4

    Mash or partly blend for a smoother soup, thin with water if needed, then season with pepper (opens in a new tab) and salt to taste.

    • 3 min
    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Not attributed to one place · Origin uncertainDried-pea and ham soups are traditional across northern Europe and North America; this is the common American and British home style.Also popular in United States, United Kingdom, Canada
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Soups · Main courses
Cooking method
Simmered, Slow-cooked
Taste
earthy, smoky, savoury
Diet
No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · High-protein · High-fibre
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Beef-free · High-protein · High-fibre · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Batch cooking · Freezer-friendly · Uses leftovers
Cook more with
Green split peas (dried) · Ham · Butter · Onion · Carrot · Celery
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom butter
  • Contains: Celeryfrom celery

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

393 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 481 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 26%
  • Carbohydrate 53%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy393 kcal82 kcal
Protein26.3 g5.5 g
Carbohydrate52.8 g11 g
Net carbohydrate34.2 g7.1 g
Sugars4.8 g1 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre18.5 g3.9 g
Fat9.5 g2 g
Saturated fat1.9 g0.4 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol34 mg7 mg
Sodium653 mg136 mg
Salt equivalent1.6 g0.3 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
918 mg
Calcium
100 mg
Iron
4.4 mg
Magnesium
71 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
193 µg
Vitamin C
7 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
28 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Split peas do not need soaking, but stir the pot often near the end as the thick soup can catch.

Common mistakes

  • Salting early — the ham releases salt as it cooks.

Serve with

  • Serve with crusty bread or croutons.

Food safety

  • Thick soups cool slowly: divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours; reheat until piping hot.

Storage

  • Keeps 5 days chilled; freezes well for 3 months.

Reheating

  • It sets solid when cold — reheat with a splash of water, stirring.

Variations

  • Vegetarian split pea soup: Leave out the ham, use vegetable stock and add smoked paprika for smokiness.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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