This delicious Split Pea Soup With Ham Bone is a classic leftover ham recipe that we make every year! The best way to use up your cooked ham and makes great leftovers. It is the best split pea and ham soup!
Homemade Split Pea Soup With Ham
Any time we make a smoked ham or baked ham, we ALWAYS keep the bone! Always. Because in the next day or two you know we are going to be making some of this Split Pea and Ham Soup! This is how we grew up eating it and how my Mom taught me to cook this delicious soup. It is a simple recipe, salty flavor, and the best soup for a cold night. Just the way I like my favorite soup recipes!
If you are looking for more leftover ham recipes? You should also try our Ham & Cheese Sliders – so easy and so good!
What You Will Need
- meaty ham bone – after making that holiday ham at your next special occasion, make sure you hold on to that ham bone and leave plenty of meat on it too!
- water – the leftover ham bone will turn these cups of water into the most flavorful broth.
- bay leaf – adds that classic homemade soup flavor.
- green split peas – one of the main ingredients in this easy soup recipe! Find at your local grocery stores.
- carrots, celery, & yellow onion – traditional veggies that are always a must when making your own soup.
- ham meat – if you don’t have a lot of meat left on the bone, you can simply cut-up and add more leftover ham meat to the pot.
How To Make Split Pea Soup
Step 1: To start making this flavorful split pea soup, soak your dried split peas in water (either overnight or start soaking them when you start simmering the ham bone).
Step 2: Place the ham bone or ham hocks in a large soup pot or dutch oven and cover with water.
Do Split Peas Need To Be Soaked Before Cooking
No, it is not imperative that you soak your split peas before cooking them (as opposed to dried beans). By soaking them you simply reduce the cooking time. If you soak your split peas, especially overnight, they should cook quite quickly (about 20 minutes). If you do not soak your split peas they will take around 1 to 2 hours to cook (simmering).
Step 3: Place the cover on the pot and bring to a medium-high heat on the stove top to boil. Then drop the heat to a simmer and let it cook for 3-5 hours. This is going to add so much flavor! Carefully remove and discard bone. Strain the remaining broth and add it back into the pot.
Step 4: Remove any meat from the ham bone and add it back into the large pot, along with any fresh ham meat, green peas, carrots, celery, and onion. If your peas haven’t been soaking for very long, then you will want to cook them first, adding the carrots and celery later so they don’t over-cook and get mushy.
Step 5: Once you add the carrots and celery, let the big pot of soup simmer for another 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.
Step 6: Serve this flavorful soup immediately or save for later!
Best Ways To Serve Split Pea Soup With Ham
This hearty soup is so thick and creamy that you could enjoy it all by itself, but sometimes you need to take it to the next level. To do that you could add some homemade croutons for some added crunch or with some crusty french bread or grilled bread on the side!
Recipe FAQs
- Ham Bone: it’s a must for this classic split pea soup recipe and if you don’t have time to make it right away, you can simply store the ham shank in a bag in the freezer until you are ready!
- Additional ham: If you don’t have enough ham on the bone, you can always add additional leftover diced ham. You can ultimately add as much or as little ham as you want.
- Storage: leftover soup will last for about a week in the fridge (covered in an airtight container).
- Freezing Soup: you can store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months. Make sure you leave room for the soup to expand as it freezes. To thaw, simply place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can place your frozen soup in a large saucepan and very slowly warm up on the stove-top.
Other Homemade Soup Recipes You Might Like
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Ingredients
- 1 ham bone, preferably with some meat still on the bone
- water, about 8 cups or enough to cover your ham bone
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 lb green split peas, soak in water overnight before using
- 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 celery stalks, sliced
- 1 medium yellow onion, white would work too, diced
- additional ham meat if there is not a lot on the bone, as much or as little as you like – about 2-3 cups should be fine
Instructions
- Place ham bone in large soup pot or dutch oven (I used a 5.5qt dutch oven).
- Cover with water (about 8 cups) and add bay leaf.
- Place the cover on and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 3-5 hours.
- Remove ham bone and place on a large plate or baking sheet; set aside to cool.
- Strain remaining broth and place back in same pot.
- Prepare carrots, celery and onion while the ham bone cools then remove ham from ham bone (ensuring it is in bite-sized pieces).
- Add carrots, onion, celery and ham meat back into pot along with the split peas.
- Let simmer for 20-30 minutes or until peas are fully cooked and vegetables are soft.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Soaking peas: If you forgot to soak your peas overnight simply start soaking them when your ham bone starts being cooked in Step 3. Once your ham bone is cooking, add your peas into the strained broth and let the peas cook by themselves for about 1.5-2 hours. You will have to keep an eye on them and stir occasionally while they simmer. Once the peas have cooked and are starting to break down, then add in the onion, carrots and celery and let them simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are soft, but firm.
- Additional ham: If you don’t have enough ham on the bone, you can always add additional leftover ham. You can ultimately add as much or as little ham as you want.
- Storage: Ham and Split pea soup will last for about a week in the fridge (covered in an airtight container) or you can freeze it for up to 3-4 months. To thaw, simply place the frozen soup in the fridge overnight. Alternatively, you can place your frozen soup in a large saucepan and very slowly warm up on the stove-top.
Originally published April 1, 2021.
Karen says
Love the full details on the recipes! What a great way to use that leftover Easter ham.
Erin says
Thanks, Karen! Glad you are enjoying this one!
Claire says
This was so good and so easy! Will definitely be making every time we make a ham from now on! Thanks for the great recipe!
Susan Sicora says
I add lentils and split peas. I use a crockpot, slow cook all day with my onions and carrots, lilโcayenne. Ham- hocks. i also cook little pasta shells separately, add them later to a bowl, oh so so good. Perfect for the fall and colder weather.
Marge says
Try using split yellow peas. The swedish have used the yellow split peas for a long time. Every Thursday the had pea soup made from the last of their Sunday meat. This has been passed down in my family for generations.
Erin says
I love that idea! Thanks for sharing, Marge!