Pork
Split Pea Soup with Ham
dumpmeals.com/recipes/split-pea-soup-with-ham/
Dried green split peas, diced ham, carrots and celery slow-cooked into a thick soup. No soaking needed.
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- Low 7 to 9 hours, or high 4 to 5 hours
- Slow cooker
- 6-quart
Split pea soup needs no soaking, no canned beans and almost no attention. Dried green split peas break down as they cook and thicken the soup on their own. Diced ham gives it a smoky, salty flavor, and carrots, celery and onion round out the pot.
Split peas are not kidney beans, and they cook through soft in a slow cooker. Rinse them and pick out any stones before they go in. The soup will be thick when it comes off the heat and will set up even more as it cools; thin it with a splash of broth or water. Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
The soup thickens as it cools, so add water or broth when you reheat leftovers. A drizzle of olive oil or a pinch of black pepper on each bowl is a simple finish. Leftovers keep a few days in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
Into the slow cooker
- 1 pound dried green split peas, rinsed and sorted
- 1 pound cooked ham, diced
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Rinse the split peas in a colander and pick out any small stones.
- Put the peas, ham, carrots, celery, onion and garlic in a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the broth, bay leaf, thyme and pepper. Stir.
- Cover. Cook on low 7 to 9 hours or on high 4 to 5 hours.
- Check that the peas are soft and the soup reads at least 165°F. Remove the bay leaf.
- Stir well. Add a little hot water if the soup is thicker than you like.
It's done when the peas are completely soft and falling apart, and the soup is steaming hot and reads at least 165°F. Check with a food thermometer.
Leftovers go in the refrigerator within two hours. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until hot all the way through (165°F), not in the slow cooker. Slow cooker safety
Cooking for two
Use 1 cup dried peas (a little under half the bag), 1/2 lb ham, 1 or 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk and 3 cups broth. Use a 3-quart slow cooker, so the food still fills it about halfway. Check at 5 hours on low.
More in Cooking for two in a slow cooker.
Tips
- Ham is salty. Do not add salt until you have tasted the finished soup.
- Skip the soaking. Dried split peas cook down without it.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, in shallow covered containers. Reheat them on the stove or in the microwave until they reach 165°F. Do not reheat them in the slow cooker.
Food-safety sources
- Slow Cooker Food Safety (HGIC 3585), Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center. Checked November 1, 2026.
- Safe Cooking Temperatures, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension (UNL Food). Checked November 1, 2026.
- Vegetables and Fruits for Health: Preparing Dry Beans, Peas, and Lentils, University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Checked November 1, 2026.