Split Pea Soup with Ham

Stovetop Instructions

Prepare the homemade ham broth. Place the leftover ham bone in a large stockpot and add approximately 12 cups of cold water, or enough to fully submerge it. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for at least 1 hour to extract flavor from the bone and tenderize the attached meat.
1 large leftover ham bone with meat, 12 cups water
Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery. During the last 20-25 minutes of preparing the ham broth, heat the olive oil in a separate large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add the carrots and celery and cook for another 10-15 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 yellow onions, 6 carrots, 4 stalks celery, 6 cloves garlic
Add the split peas and seasonings. Add the rinsed and drained split peas, bay leaves, dried thyme, and black pepper to the pot with the vegetables. Stir to distribute the ingredients evenly. Do not add salt at this stage.
2½ cups green split peas, 2 bay leaves, 1½ teaspoons dried thyme, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Strain and measure the ham broth. Using kitchen tongs, carefully transfer the ham bone to a plate and allow it to cool slightly. Measure approximately 6 cups of the prepared ham broth and strain it through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot containing the split peas and vegetables. Add 4 cups of water or low-sodium beef broth and stir to combine. Strain and reserve any remaining homemade ham broth for another use.
4 cups water or low-sodium beef broth
Remove the meat from the ham bone. When the ham bone is cool enough to handle, remove the attached meat. Discard any large pieces of fat, skin, or gristle. Cut or shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
Return the ham and bone to the soup. Transfer the chopped ham and the bone to the pot with the split peas, vegetables, and broth. Stir gently to combine.
Simmer until the split peas are tender. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a gentle boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for approximately 2 hours, or until the split peas are completely tender and have begun breaking apart. Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking. Stir more frequently as the soup thickens. Add additional water or reserved ham broth if needed to maintain the desired consistency.
Season and serve. Remove and discard the ham bone and bay leaves. Stir the soup thoroughly, then taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped parsley, homemade croutons, or Tabasco sauce, if desired.
salt, Fresh chopped parsley, croutons, or Tabasco sauce

Slow Cooker Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Sort through the dried split peas to remove any stones or debris, then rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Drain well.
Combine the ingredients. Place the ham bone, split peas, onions, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, dried thyme, black pepper, and olive oil in an 8-quart or larger slow cooker. Pour in 8 cups of water and stir gently to distribute the ingredients. Do not use the additional water quantities listed for the stovetop method.
Cook until tender. Cover and cook on LOW for at least 8 hours or HIGH for approximately 6 hours, until the split peas are completely soft and the soup has thickened.
Remove the ham bone. Carefully transfer the ham bone to a plate. Once cool enough to handle, remove the meat and discard the bone, skin, and any large pieces of fat. Chop or shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
Finish the soup. Return the chopped ham to the slow cooker and discard the bay leaves. Stir well, taste, and season with salt and additional black pepper as needed. If the soup is too thick, add a little water or broth until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve with your favorite garnishes.

Ingredients

For the Homemade Ham Broth

For the Split Pea Soup

Instructions

Stovetop Instructions

Slow Cooker Instructions

Notes

Nutrition