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    Home » Dinners » Split Pea and Ham Soup is an Old Fashioned Meal in a Bowl

    Published: Sep 10, 2020 · Modified: Apr 20, 2022 by Nancy · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Split Pea and Ham Soup is an Old Fashioned Meal in a Bowl

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Split pea and ham soup with potatoes, celery and carrots is a meal in a bowl that will warm your soul in the fall and winter months.

    Bowl of split pea and ham soup with a celery leaf on top
    This hearty soup is a meal in a bowl

    I used to love it when my mom made a big ham for a holiday dinner, because I knew it meant we would be getting split pea soup the next day. The ham bone adds a wonderful smokey flavor to the soup, and the chopped ham and vegetables make it a filling cold weather meal. But I have to admit, I made the above bowl of soup on a day that hit 113 degrees in Los Angeles -- soup in air conditioning works, too!

    Split Pea Soup Has Been Around Since 500 BC

    Split pea soup was popularized in the Navy. Like its cousin navy bean soup, it's a nutritious and low cost meal that's easy to prepare in large quantities. But split pea soup was sold in Athens, Greece as early as 500 BC, when Greeks and Romans began cultivating peas.

    A One Pot Meal With Lots of Garden Veggies

    If you have a garden full of veggies, you can shop in your backyard for most of the ingredients! Here's what you'll need:

    • ham shank or salt pork
    • chicken broth
    • split peas
    • carrots
    • russet potatoes
    • yellow onions
    • celery
    • bay leaf
    • dried thyme
    • minced garlic
    • kosher salt
    • pepper

    I love that you can simply toss everything into a pot and have a meal 90 minutes later. Just make sure to stir periodically, because the split peas tend to sink to the bottom and can stick. And I'm sure you don't like to scrub pots any more than I do!

    Where to Buy a Ham Shank

    If you're not making this soup from leftover ham, you can purchase a large ham bone, ham shank or salt pork at the grocery store. I picked mine up for about $6 at our local Honey Baked Ham store, which sells just the soup bones. It still had plenty of ham on it to chop off and serve with the soup, and it had outstanding flavor.

    Make it Vegetarian/Vegan

    If you prefer a vegetarian version of this meal, leave out the ham and substitute vegetable broth in place of chicken. If you want to strengthen the flavor, leave out the water and use 8 cups of vegetable broth.

     

    Bowl of Split pea and ham soup with crackers on the side

    Split Pea and Ham Soup is an Old Fashioned Meal in a Bowl

    Nancy Blackstone
    Split pea and ham soup is a tasty and highly nutritious old fashioned meal in a bowl. Packed with meat, vegetables and seasonings, it will satisfy even the heartiest of appetites.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 50 mins
    Course Soups and Stews
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8 Servings
    Calories 244 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
    • 4 cups water
    • 1 large ham bone
    • 2 cups split peas
    • 2 large carrots diced
    • 1 medium yellow onions diced
    • 2 large celery sticks sliced
    • 2 medium russet potatoes cubed
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 cloves minced garlic
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Cut off excess meat from ham bone, chop and reserve for serving.
    • Add chicken broth, water and ham bone to a large soup pot, then add all remaining ingredients.
    • Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender, approximately 1-½ hours.
    • Put some reserved chopped ham in the soup bowls and pour soup over top for serving.

    Notes

    The cooked, chopped ham is reserved until serving because cooking it in the soup will cause it to dry out.
    Be sure to stir the soup periodically so that the ingredients don't stick to the bottom of the pot.
    You can substitute beef broth or vegetable broth in place of chicken broth. Or if you prefer, you can use 8 cups of water and leave out the broth.
    You can make a vegetarian/vegan version of this split pea soup by eliminating the ham bone and cooking the soup with vegetable broth.
    This soup will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 244kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 16gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 356mgPotassium: 892mgFiber: 14gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 3092IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword Fall Foods, old fashioned soup split pea soup, one bowl meals, One dish meals, soup meals, vegan split pea soup, vegetarian split pea soup
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Nancy and Bentley

    Hi, I'm Nancy! Welcome to Flourchild where I share classic mid-century recipes from the 1940's - 1970's. I feature many vintage handwritten recipes, and provide modern shortcuts and a variety of healthy and special diet-friendly versions whenever possible. Join me in exploring the delicious flavors and from-scratch cooking techniques of our past!

    More about me →

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