This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Split Pea Soup with HamI really love Split Pea Soup with Ham and grew up eating it. My Mom always made it when we had leftover ham after the holidays and I always looked forward to a warm, comforting bowl of it. 

I do have a funny story about split pea soup though– after I gave birth to Winnie, I got home and my sweet Mother-In-Law asked me what I wanted to eat because she wanted to cook for me. Split pea soup was exactly what I wanted. She made us the BIGGEST pot of it and I was so happy. It was so good that I ate it for multiple days in a row. Meanwhile, sweet newborn baby Winnie tummy was hurting and she was so gassy and having a hard time pooping so I took her into the pediatrician and after many questions and looking at her– we decided it was because I was eating *way too much* split pea soup. So note to all you breastfeeding moms— don’t eat too much of anything. It upsets your baby’s tummy!

I’ve taken the split pea soup I grew up eating and added my own little touches to it. This Split Pea Soup with Ham is one of my all-time favorite comforting bowls of soup and I just know you’ll love it! 

Split Pea Soup with Ham

For more recipes like this, check out my Soups + Stews Recipe Round Up!

5 from 11 votes

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Prep: 11 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Pin Recipe Comment Print Recipe

Ingredients 

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced (or 1/2 medium onion)
  • 3/4 cup carrot, diced (or 1 large carrot)
  • 3/4 cup celery, diced (or 2 large stalks)
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 lb split green peas, dried and rinsed, until the water runs clear
  • 2 cups ham, diced *see notes
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp cajun seasoning
  • 1 lb yellow potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, parsley or thyme for garnish

Instructions 

  • Heat a large pot over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes.
  • Add the split peas and ham. Stir to combine. Pour the chicken broth, water, bay leaves, thyme and cajun seasoning. Bring soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, for 30 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. 
  • Remove the bay leaves and thyme stems. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, as desired. Finish with fresh lemon juice and dill, for garnish. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*If you are using leftover ham and have a ham bone, throw that in the soup while it's cooking for best results. I just remove it right before serving.
Reheating directions: I like to reheat mine on the stovetop in a saucepan and add a little extra broth to thin it out (as it tends to thicken even more after refrigerating).

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass
Servings: 8
Like this? Leave a comment below!Jump to Comments →

Welcome! I’m Alex.

I’m a food lover sharing healthy, simple, delicious, recipes from my kitchen to yours. Here you’ll find lots of Whole30, lots of healthy, and a little indulgence here and there because…it’s all about balance y’all!

Get to know Alex

Similar recipes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




27 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I was looking for a way to make use of a leftover ham bone and found that the option is pretty much split pea soup. I didn’t think I would like it and made it to feel resourceful by using the ham bone. Thorns out I love this recipe. It’s not pretty but no one’s cares because it is so good.

    Reply

    1. 5 stars
      The flavor of this soup was wonderful! I found it needed to cook longer to soften the split peas, but was delicious. My husband loved it too.

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    When I first told my family I was making pea soup they all thought I was crazy. Every single person devoured this soup and now even crave it. It’s a family favorite!

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    I LOVE this soup and have made it 3 times since Christmas! I’m on a soup kick and have used 5 of your recipes so far – delicious! Do you have the calorie count for a serving?

    Reply

    1. Hi. I went to the deli and got greenridge ham and had them slice it as think as possible so I could dice it and add to the soup. I’m on whole 30 right now and the greenridge farms has a whole 30 compliant ham. Hope this helps

      Reply

  10. Instead of ham I cooked 1/2 lb bacon and used the drippings to saute the veggies, and added the bacon pieces into the dish when you added the ham. So good! It makes a ton and it was so satisfying, I don’t know what it is about Spring that makes me crave soup. Weird, I know!

    Reply