Parmesan Truffled Potato Chips:
Recipe from Emeril Lagasse
Split Pea And Ham Soup
We take our pork very seriously here in Virginia, so Split Pea Soup with ham is the only way to prepare this old-fashioned favorite! Don’t even bother trying to make a vegetarian version, because the smoky ham adds so much rich, salty flavor to the dish. Whether you use a Dutch oven on the stovetop, the slow cooker for an easy hands-off option, or the Instant Pot for quick last-minute meals, this simple, hearty soup comes out perfectly every time.
The other great thing about this recipe is that you can use just about any version of ham that you have available. Simmering the soup with a ham bone is a great way to use up the leftovers from a holiday meal! I typically use smoked ham hocks for that classic smoky flavor, which I can easily find in my grocery store year-round. If you prefer, diced ham or even bacon will also do the trick!
Can I Freeze Split Pea Soup
Sure can! In fact, its one of our favorite soups to have stashed in the freezer for a cold winter evening. Heres how:
To reheat, let thaw at room temperature or in the fridge, and then warm in a saucepan or soup pot over medium heat on the stove. You might need to add a splash of water to thin it out if it has thickened too much.
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How To Make Split Pea Soup:
- Saute vegetables: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery and saute 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add liquid, peas and herbs: Pour in chicken broth and water. Add split peas, bay leaves and thyme. Season lightly with salt and with pepper to taste.
- Add ham and simmer: Nestle ham bone into soup mixture. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce to low. Cover and let simmer, stirring occasionally until peas and ham are tender, about 1 hour.
- Remove ham, rest then chop: Remove ham from soup, let rest 10 minutes then shred or dice meat portion into pieces, cover.
- Add carrots, continue to simmer: Meanwhile add carrots to soup. Cover soup and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until peas have mostly broken down, about 30 minutes longer.
- Return ham: Stir ham into soup, season with more salt as needed. Serve warm garnished with parsley if desired.
How Can I Use A Ham Bone
One of the benefits of holidays is the leftovers. If youre serving ham, likely you have a ham bone. If youre not sure what to do with itmake soup!
Using a ham bone in soup is a simple way to bring incredible flavor, infuse the soup with marrow and gelatin which both thickens the soup as well as providing tremendous health benefits similar to bone broth.
It is especially delicious in White Bean Ham Bone Soup or with Split Pea Soup, like this easy Instant Pot recipe.
If you dont have time to use the bone right away, freeze it for later use!
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How To Video Split Pea Soup
Second a leftover meaty ham bone is that special ingredient that really flavors this soup. The bone of the ham and the meat adds so much flavor, plus it puts it to good use. Much better than just tossing it.
And beginning with a whole bag of dry split peas yields a full bodied soup with the perfect consistency and texture.
This recipe is all about going back to the old fashioned basics and thats what really makes it so good. Theres just something about the classic staple recipes like this that is just so satisfying.
Its the food that reminds us of being back home that will follow us through life, those foods almost as if wishing us well through good memories. When I was younger and getting over a bad cold or something it was often split pea soup I asked mom to make for me. Its just a true comfort food staple.
Q My Peas Wont Cook Did I Need To Soak Them First
A. Split peas shouldnt need soaking prior to simmering. If they arent breaking down after 90 minutes , a few things mightve happened:
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Q Can I Add Diced Potatoes To The Soup
A. My family prefers this recipe without potatoes, but they can certainly be added! Peel and cut the potatoes into a 1/2-inch dice and add them to the pot during the last 30 minutes of cooking, until tender.
The potato starches can make the soup a bit thicker, so add additional stock or water after theyve softened, to your preferred consistency.
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Split Pea Soup With Ham Bone
Split Pea Soup flavored with ham is just like the one you grew up on. Full of vegetables and tender split peas this soup is easy to make and even better to eat. It is hearty and soul warming. Split pea soup is one of those feel good soups thats also good for you. Dont let the color of this incredibly delicious soup throw you. Its vibrant color just means it tastes good and is healthy too. The aroma is unbelievable and the flavor will keep you coming back bowl after bowl.
Split pea soup is one my go to favorites after Ive cooked a ham and have leftovers. Its the perfect way to use the hambone and not let it go to waste. It gives the pea soup just enough of that salty smoky flavor that makes this soup irresistible. The ham also gives it an extra punch of protein and will help satisfy your hunger. Another plus to this recipe is the fact that split peas are so cheap. So if you use leftover ham, its quite a low cost hearty dish. Serve it with a side of rolls and a nice green salad and youve got a meal thats sure to delight!
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Thin Or Thick You Pick
When I say this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham will thicken upon standing, I definitely mean it! When it finishes cooking after 8 hours it looks thin like a brothy soup, but after a couple hours in the fridge it is basically mashed potato consistency. I like it on the thicker side, so I usually wait a bit to eat my soup and then thin my leftovers out with a splash or two of water before reheating. The nice part about this is that you can basically select your consistency by adding liquid to the leftover soup as desired. Since this is a slow cooker recipe, if you want to eat thick soup at dinner time, you can set your soup to cook overnight and then transfer it to the refrigerator in the morning before you leave for work. By the time you get home for dinner itll be rich, thick, and ready to go. Youll be able to see the consistency difference between right after cooking and the next day in the photos below!
More Hearty Soup Recipes
- Escarole and white bean soup – pancetta, onion, garlic, and cannellini beans.
- Roasted butternut squash soup – a creamy blend of apples, roasted carrots, and butternut squash.
- Lemon chicken orzo soup – tender chicken, carrots, celery onions, and orzo pasta with lemon.
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Are Split Peas Healthy
Beans, peas, and lentils are a group of vegetables called pulses. Belonging to the legume family, pulses are any vegetable grown in a pod. Pulses are identified as the dry edible seed within the pod. Which includes split peas.
Are they healthy?
Colorado State University says that split peas are a great source of plant based protein. And a 1/2 cup of cooked split peas contains about 115 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber. They are also low in fat, and a good source of folate, iron, and potassium.
Easy Instant Pot Split Pea Soup With Ham
This Instant Pot Split Pea Soup, made with ham, is a quick and easy method to making this oh-so-yummy bowl of comfort. Perfect all year with simple ingredients, its ready in about 30 minutes, and is utterly delicious!
While I absolutely love to make this soup following a holiday , it might be my tradition even, I also adore making it year round.
This recipe doesnt require a ham bone You dont even absolutely need leftover holiday ham.
If youre craving a quick and easy bowl of split pea soup this recipe works. Simply omit the bone and swap in thick slice deli ham.
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Ingredients For Pea Soup
Hearty and wholesome, this soup is chock full of good for you ingredients. Herbs and spices give that extra umph and flavor. If you dont have a leftover ham bone you can use, ask the butcher for one at your local grocery store. You can also leave out the ham bone and just add ham. It wont be quite as flavorful but still amazing.
- Butter: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Onion: A classic ingredient for most soups.
- Carrots: Dice into bite sized pieces.
- Celery: Add incredible flavor to the stock.
- Garlic: Gives the split pea soup a nice flavor.
- Dried Split Peas: These can be found with other dried beans at your local store.
- Chicken Broth: Flavor and the base of the soup.
- Ham bone: If you dont have one on hand, see if you can get one from your local butcher.
- Salt and pepper: Add more or less to taste.
- Fresh Thyme: Fresh gives a nice light flavor. You can use dry, just use ½ teaspoon.
- Chopped Ham: This is optional, but youre going to love the extra flavor it gives.
How Do You Make Split Pea Soup From Scratch
You can cook this soup on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in an Instant Pot, but the process is pretty similar for all of them. To make split pea soup, heres what youll do:
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What To Serve With Split Pea Soup With Ham
Serve the soup with a crusty loaf of French baguetteor other hearty bread. Add some robust, sharp cheese, if desired! For a Southern alternative, you can never go wrong with a side of cornbread, corn muffins, or flaky buttermilk biscuits. My GreatAunt Bee’s 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins or her 3-ingredient biscuits are also delicious options!
If you’re trying to pair wine with split pea soup, I recommend either a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc.
How To Make Split Pea And Ham Soup
Start by rinsing the dried split peas . Once rinsed, set aside.
If you are using ham hocks, ham shank or joint instead of the bone and leftover ham, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat in large Dutch oven or stockpot add the hocks or joint to pot and brown meat on all sides.
Cover with eight cups of water and if desired, add a rib of celery, one carrot, an onion, and some black peppercorns to the pot.
As ham can be salty, dont add salt to the pot at this stage. Once the meat is cooked, you can safely taste the stock and season from there.
Bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours before moving on to making the soup.
Chop the carrots, onion and celery into bite-sized pieces.
Tie the parsley and bay leaf together with kitchen string.
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large soup pot, saute the onions over medium heat until translucent .
Add the garlic and cook another minute.
Add the peas. Followed by the ham bone and a cut of ham .
If you made stock using a ham hock or shank, taste the stock for saltiness before adding it to the soup mixture. If it tastes quite salty, use half stock and half water.
Add the stock, carrots, celery, and herb bundle.
Add the paprika and pepper .
Bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer cover and cook for 30 minutes. Be sure to stir often as the split peas can stick to the bottom. Stir in the potatoes.
Shred the meat and add it to the soup.
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Easy Split Pea Soup With Ham Can Be Made In A Soup Pot The Slow Cooker Or The Instant Pot
When five minutes into it the kitchen already smells amazing, you know its going to be good. Split pea soup is an old idea. How old? Split pea soup was sold on the streets of Athens in 500 BC Wow. Its been a nutritious and cheap form of protein and comfort ever since. It came to us here in the States via Britain where it was known as pease porridge. Its a wonderful meal that deserves to be rediscovered.
Serving Tips: Dont Forget The Croutons
This soup is quite filling on its own, but my family likes to serve it with Buttery Garlic Croutons on top. The crunchy croutons are a great contrast to the creamy soup and bring even more flavor to the dish.
Without croutons, a piece of crusty artisan bread for dipping is never something Id turn down. Finish the bowl with a little freshly-cracked black pepper and grab a spoon!
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Do Split Peas Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking
Many people think its necessary to soak split peas overnight before cooking them, but its not imperative. Soaking peas shorten their cooking time to about 40 minutes as opposed to 1 -2 hours . You can do this if you want to cut down the cooking time, but in my opinion, this will cut down on flavor as simmering the soup as long as possible with the bone adds so much more flavor.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup With Ham
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This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham couldnt be easier and makes amazing leftovers! The soup will thicken as it cools making a rich, hearty soup thats full of flavor and perfect for the cooler months ahead. I love an easy crockpot meal, and this one couldnt be much simpler. Youll just have to cut up the celery, carrots, onion and ham and then toss everything into your slow cooker. Thats it! Even the cleanup is easy-breezy. Plus slow cooking everything together gives this soup such great flavor. Maximum taste for minimal effort is a winner in my book, and each 1 ¼ cups serving is just 225 calories or 7 Green, 1 Blue or 1 Purple WW SmartPoints! To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, !
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Pea Soup Tips And Variations
- If you cant find smoked ham hocks, use a leftover ham bone or ham steak.
- If you dont eat pork, swap the ham for a smoked turkey leg.
- To make vegetarian split pea soup, leave the ham out, swap the chicken broth for vegetarian broth, and add more salt.
- To freeze pea soup, transfer to freezer-safe containers after the soup cools and label the soup with the date and name. Freeze at least 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then warm on the stove or in the microwave.