Homemade Split Pea Soup 🍲 (2024)

Split Pea Soup made with creamy split peas, smoky ham hock, and sweet carrotsis a winner winner, soup for dinner!

This classic split pea soup recipe can be made on the stove top, in the slow cooker, or in your instant pot! However you make it, be sure to serve with some crusty French bread and a slice of strawberry pie!

Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup Ingredients

• Dried split peas – Make sure to rinse the peas off before adding to the cooking vessel as sometimes there is debris in the bag.
• Chicken stock or broth – Learn how to make your own chicken stock.
• Smoked ham hocks – You can typically find these near the spiral hams in your grocery store. They look like large meat knots.
• Finely chopped onion – Sweet yellow or white works best in this recipe.
• Minced garlic – Fresh or jarred is fine.
• Chopped carrot – Often I’ll cheat and grab a bag of julienned carrots from the produce sections.
• Optional garnish – Diced browned ham, diced raw carrot.

How do you make split pea soup? (step-by-step)

⭐ First, add ingredients to cooking vessel, and give a good stir.

⭐ Then, cook until peas have become mushy and onion and carrots are tender.

⭐Next, remove ham hocks and mash soup with a fork or blend with an immersion blender, depending on your consistency preference.

⭐ Finally, if desired, cut the meat off your ham hock bone and small dice it. Brown the diced ham in a skillet and stir back into the soup.

Instant pot split pea soup

To make this in your instapot, add ingredients to inner liner, stir, and cook on high (manual pressure) for 30 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release. Remove ham hocks and mash soup with a fork or blend with an immersion blender. If desired, brown diced ham (from hock) in a skillet and stir back into soup.

Slow cooker split pea soup

To make this in your crock pot, add ingredients to inner liner, stir, and cook on high for 4 – 6 hours or low for 8 – 10 hours. Remove ham hocks and mash soup with a fork or blend with an immersion blender. If desired, brown diced ham (from hock) in a skillet and stir back into soup.

Preparation

Can you make split pea soup ahead of time?

Absolutely, this will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or longer in the freezer. Store in an air tight container for best results.

Heat up the refrigerated soup in the microwave or on the stove top over medium heat. Make sure to stir frequently as it is a thick soup.

Split pea soup without ham hock?

The ham hock adds a ton of flavor and some fat to the soup, so if you want to skip it and make a vegetarian version, you’ll need to replace those ingredients. I suggest adding a tablespoon of seasoned salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. You can also add a drop or two of liquid smoke!

Leftovers and storage

How long does split pea soup last?

It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or longer in the freezer. Store in an air tight container for best results.

Can you freeze split pea soup?

This recipe freezes beautifully, so you can make a giant batch and put half away for another time. I like to serve it with corn bread or pumpkin biscuits and whipped butter.It’s perfect for cuddling up on the couch when it’s cool out, or enjoying around the fire pit with friends.

Tips, tricks, and frequently asked questions

Is split pea soup smooth or chunky?

This is a personal preference, we typically mash ours with a fork or potato masher and leave some texture, but sometimes I’ll use the immersion blender to make it smooth.

Just make sure to blend before you stir in any meat!

Why do they call it split pea soup?

Well because it’s made with split peas!Green split peas are identical to green peas. To make a split pea, the green pea is peeled and dried. The skin is removed and a natural split occurs.

Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?

This recipe does not require that the peas be soaked before cooking.

What to eat with split pea soup (serving suggestions)

I love to serve this as a soup and salad meal with our fig and blue cheese spinach salad, maple bacon dijon dressing, and yeast dinner rolls on the side. For dessert a quick cinnamon mug cake is perfection!

If you love soup, try these recipes next

• Savory pumpkin soup
• Beer cheese soup recipe
• Lasagna soup
• Easy stuffed pepper soup
• See all our homemade soup recipes!

More delicious instant pot recipes

• Ham and bean soup recipe
• Mashed butternut squash
• Instant pot BBQ chicken
• Chicken tikka masala
• See all our yummy instant pot recipes!

Other awesome slow cooker recipes to try

• Broccoli casserole recipe
• Crockpot peanut candy
• Jalapeno spinach dip
• Chicken bacon ranch casserole
• See all our easy crockpot recipes!

Tools we love

• 7 Quart Crock Pot Slow Cooker– I’ve had this slow cooker since my husband and I were married in 2003! And it’s still kicking butt! I especially like this slow cooker because it holds one more quart than most other slow cookers.
• Cuisinart 2-Speed Immersion Stick Blender– Literally the best. I use my immersion blender every single day. Alllll the days. Because it’s literally the best.
• OXO Good Grips Garlic Press– Gone are the days of mincing your garlic by hand! This awesome garlic press can both mince and slice! We heart it.

How to Make Split Pea Soup

Proof that sometimes I like it smooth!

Originally published 1-2012, 1-2-2018