• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Food Blogging Resources
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Pip and Ebby

Recipe Index
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Soup » Ham Bone Split Pea Soup Recipe

    Ham Bone Split Pea Soup Recipe

    Published: Nov 26, 2018 · Modified: Apr 13, 2020 by Megan Porta · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Ham bone split pea soup recipe is full of split peas and an assortment of delicious carrots, peas and celery. They are the perfect combo in this hearty, comforting and traditional soup. A truly savory soup will satisfy and fill you up. This is a great dinner option for leftover ham or a ham bone to give it a full flavorful broth, or both!

    colorful heaping bowl of pea and ham soup with giant croutons on top

    Why This Recipe Works

    When it comes to holidays and food, I am ALL about scoring ham bones and turkey bones and chicken bones when the feast is over. This year I made a succulent ham in the slow cooker for Thanksgiving and I was freakishly excited to get home and start making something delicious with the remains.

    I hate to brag but I kinda-sorta nailed it big time on the first try. I didn’t even know I liked Ham Bone Split Pea Soup! And it has suddenly risen to the top of my Favorite Comfort Foods list, in one fell swoop.

    Recipe Ingredients

    Ham bone – Optional; delivers great flavor if you have one recently prepared.

    Ham – Diced up leftover ham will work great in this soup.

    Leeks, yellow onions, carrots, celery – Use what is on hand but these are a good blend.

    Dried split peas – A change up from regular sweet garden peas, these help thicken the soup wonderfully.

    Croutons – Great as a topping as you serve your soup.

    How To Make Ham Bone Split Pea Soup Recipe

    Using your dutch oven to make a hearty soup is a no-brainer with just a couple steps!

    Step 1

    In a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add carrots, onions, leeks, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

    Step 2

    Add the ham bone (if using), split peas, bay leaves, chicken stock (or chicken broth), cups of water and ham. Set to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour (stirring occasionally), or until peas are soft and broken.

    Step 3

    Remove the ham bone and pick ham remnants from it and add to the pan. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve immediately and top with croutons, if desired.

    **Smoked ham hocks can be used in place of a ham bone for delivering equally delicious flavor in your soup.

    Top view of bowl filled with split pea and ham soup with croutons

    What To Serve With Ham – 19 delicious ideas!

    Ham is a delicious dinner option, but what do you serve alongside this savory star? Read on for 19 perfect ideas about what to serve with ham.

    How Easy Is It To Make This Soup

    There are a couple different routes you can go with this soup. You can let all of the ingredients (see recipe card below for full recipe!) simmer with a ham bone OR you can skip it and just add chopped ham to the simmering soup.

    Both ways are delicious, but if you do have a ham bone please, please use it. It adds an extra POW of flavor that is unparalleled. When the soup is done, strip any remaining meat from the bone and add it to the soup. Discard the bone.

    How To Add Flavor To Soup

    Check out these tips to learn how to add flavor to your next batch of soup!

    What To Serve With Soup

    Soup is an easy, comforting meal to prepare for dinner any time of the year. But what do you serve alongside it? Click over for 33 delicious ideas about what to serve with soup.

    What Soup To Make Using a Ham Bone

    Aside from this Ham Bone Split Pea Soup, I have another favorite ham bone soup! This Crockpot Leftover Ham Bone Soup is very similar to this Ham Bone Split Pea Soup recipe, minus the split peas. It is packed with veggies, ham and most importantly FLAVOR.

    Also consider making ham bone soup in your Instant Pot! This Loaded Potato Soup is also a keeper.

    How To Freeze Soup

    If you enjoy this and I think you will, then make an extra batch so you can freeze it! It’ll be good for 2-3 months and perfect to pull out for dinner some cool night.

    Do Split Peas Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking

    Split peas dissolve pretty quickly in the ham broth, so it is not necessary to soak them before cooking. If you wish to shorten cooking time to 30-40 minutes (as opposed to 1 hour), soaking will help. Otherwise, just rinse and dump! They are so great at thickening up a soup and giving it a great texture, you’ll love each bite.

    Veggies chopped and sitting in a Dutch oven ready for cooking

    Split Peas vs Sweet Peas

    Split peas and sweet peas are from the same plant, just processed differently. The split pea is peeled and dried. Peas have great benefits to adding to your soups and one-pan meals. Full of rich minerals, split peas are also rich in Vitamin K and Magnesium, great for heart and bone health. They also are high in fiber.

    Please tell me I’m not the only one who gets excited about cooking with ham bones and the like!

    Bowl of split pea soup with apoon next to it

    FAQs About Split Peas

    Are split peas and lentils the same?

    Split peas and lentils are both in the legume family but they are not the same food. Split peas are grown specifically for the purpose of growing in the field and drying. Lentils are grown in a pod of a small annual plant.

    Where do split peas grow?

    Split peas are grown in a field. These are different than the common sweet green peas you grow typically in your garden.

    Are split peas good for you?

    Split peas are good for you. They offer plant based protein and nutrients like fiber, folate and iron.

    Can split peas be sprouted?

    Yes, split peas can grow sprouts. They are edible and are tasty. Once the tail is at least 1 cm they are delicious but it’s recommended you remove the transparent hull first.

    Can split peas go bad?

    Properly stored, split peas can stay good for 2-3 years.

    Will you help add value to Pip and Ebby?
    If you make this recipe and love it, stop back and give it a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment. THANK YOU!

    Ham Bone Split Pea Soup Recipe

    Ham bone split pea soup recipe is full of split peas and an assortment of delicious carrots, peas and celery. They are the perfect combo in this hearty, comforting and traditional soup. A truly savory soup will satisfy and fill you up. This is a great dinner option for leftover ham or a ham bone to give it a full flavorful broth, or both!
    No ratings yet
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 304kcal
    Author: Megan Porta

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp butter
    • 1 yellow onion chopped
    • 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
    • 2 small leeks sliced, white and light green parts only
    • 3 stalks celery sliced
    • 4 cloves garlic minced
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp pepper
    • 1 ham bone optional
    • 16 oz dried split peas rinsed
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 6 cups chicken broth or stock
    • 2 cups water
    • 2 cups chopped cooked ham
    • Croutons for topping, optional

    Instructions

    • In a Dutch oven or heavy saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, leeks, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook until veggies are soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the ham bone (if using), split peas, bay leaves, chicken broth (or stock), water and ham. Set to medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour (stirring occasionally), or until peas are soft and broken.
    • Remove the ham bone and pick ham remnants from it and add to pan. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve immediately and top with croutons, if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 1244mg | Potassium: 876mg | Fiber: 16g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4475IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 4mg
    Did you make this recipe?If you loved this recipe, please rate the recipe and leave a comment below!
    « Artichokes in Instant Pot Recipe (How to Cook AND Eat Them!)
    Hot Chocolate Cookies Recipe »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mary Neu

      December 01, 2019 at 4:09 pm

      I am making split pea and ham soup this morning on a snowy morning and it smells delicious. Yes, you must use ham bone when making this soup. I personally love lots of carrots in mine. It is by far my favorite soup!

      Reply
      • Megan Porta

        December 05, 2019 at 5:22 am

        It sounds delish especially on a snowy day. I’m so glad you liked it with extra carrots too! Thanks for sharing!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    I'm Megan and I am so happy you are here! Whether you are looking for a healthy salad, easy dinner or indulgent dessert, I've got you covered! Let's dig deeper →

    Dominate Your Instant Pot!

    Food Blogging Resources

    Yummy Desserts

    Simple Icing Glaze

    Brownies With Mint Frosting Recipe

    Valentine Snack Mix Recipe

    Banana Blondies Recipe

    Instant Pot Cinnamon Applesauce Recipe

    3 Ingredient Oreo Balls – No Bake Recipe

    Comforting Soups

    Easy Loaded Baked Potato Soup

    Easy 5 Ingredient Chili Recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup With Rotisserie Chicken Recipe

    Easy Chicken Vegetable Soup Recipe (aka Pantry Soup)

    Ham Bone Vegetable Soup (Slow Cooker) Recipe

    Garlic Roasted Tomato Soup Recipe

    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Snapchat
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    As Featured In

    • Privacy Policy

    Copyright © 2025 Pip and Ebby on the Foodie Pro Theme

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required