Split Pea Soup like mom used to make with tender split peas, smoked ham bone and vegetables. Enjoy a hot bowl of this hearty, protein packed and affordable soup on a cold winter day!
Our other favorite high fiber soup recipes are simple red lentil soup, pressure cooker black bean soup and pressure cooker lentil soup.
Split Pea Soup Recipe
Hearty homemade split pea soup! Its ingredients are simple and versatile. Make with smoked ham bone, cubed fresh meat or ham, affordable soup bones or it is perfect for turkey leftovers.
Along with borscht, beef barley soup and chicken noodle soup, my mom and grandma had split pea soup on their regular dinner rotation. In Ukraine, we served it with homemade croutons.
We just celebrated Thanksgiving and I used turkey pan drippings and meat to give my mom’s split pea soup recipe a makeover on the blog.
Ingredients for Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup can be vegetarian or with meat.
- Meat: A ham bone, any soup bones or turkey (carcass) leftovers. That’s what adds richness for the best split pea soup. But good old chicken works.
- Split peas: Green or yellow split peas and no need to soak. Split peas might look like green lentils to some but they are not. Both are legumes but lentils cook much faster.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. In Ukraine we didn’t have celery but added diced potatoes to soup recipes. I suspect because everyone grew their own potatoes.
- Fresh herbs for garnish: Dill, parsley or green onion are great. If I had to choose, I would pick parsley.
- Umami flavor for vegetarian pea soup: If you want to make vegetarian or vegan pea soup without ham bone, season with 1 tbsp smoked paprika at the end. It adds a lot of umami flavour.
How to Make Split Pea Soup
There is detailed recipe card below. If you have Instant Pot, make my pressure cooker split pea soup instead.
- Saute veggies: I recommend to use large pot or dutch oven you can saute veggies in and add remaining ingredients to make a one pot meal. If not, skillet and pot works too. Saute onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes.
- Add meat, water and seasonings: Add soup bones (meat), water, bay leaves and peppercorns. It is important to bring this mixture to a boil to reduce cook time. Also skim any foam with a mesh strainer. I used leftover turkey bones with meat and a few cups of juices + fat from roasting the turkey. Or skip all together and use smoked paprika to season the soup.
- Cook soup: Add split peas, bring soup to a boil again and cook for 1 – 1.5 hours or until split peas are soft and partially broken down.
- Season: After discard bay leaves and season with pepper and garnish with green onion, dill or parsley. Season more to taste, if necessary.
Serving, Storing and Reheating
Serving: Just like lentil soup, split pea soup is high in fiber and carbohydrates, so it is quite filling on its own. Men and kids who require more calories, can enjoy it with a toast or crackers. In Ukraine, my aunt served soup with croutons.
Storing and reheating: Split pea soup can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Keep in mind it thickens within few hours after cooking and in the fridge afterwards. Just reheat desired amount in a pot on low heat while stirring. You will see soup slowly becoming of original consistency.
Freezing: Pea soup freezes beautifully because there are no tender veggies. I recommend not to add potatoes to a pea soup if you plan on freezing. Once thawed, potatoes do not taste good.
Pea soup is a one pot meal on its own that sticks to your ribs. Enjoy!
More Hearty Soup Recipes
Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups green or yellow split peas rinsed & drained
- 1-2 lbs ham bone, any soup bones or turkey (carcass) leftovers
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 large carrots chopped
- 3 large celery stalks chopped
- 1 tbsp oil
- 8 cups water
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 peppercorns
- 1 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Green onion dill or parsley, for garnish
- 1 tsp smoked paprika for vegetarian version only
Instructions
- Preheat large pot or dutch oven on medium heat and swirl oil to coat. Add onion, carrots and celery; sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add soup bones/meat (if making vegetarian – skip), water, bay leaves and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and skim foam (if any) with a mesh strainer.
- Add split peas and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 1 – 1.5 hours or until split peas are soft and partially broken down.
- Season with pepper and garnish with green onion, dill or parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Keep in mind it thickens within few hours after cooking and in the fridge afterwards. Reheat desired amount in a pot on low heat.
- Freeze: Fully cook, cool completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw on a stovetop covered on low.
- Split peas: Green or yellow split peas and no need to soak. Split peas might look like green lentils to some but they are not. Both are legumes but lentils cook much faster.
- Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery and potatoes. In Ukraine we didn’t have celery but added diced potatoes.
- Fresh herbs for garnish: Dill, parsley or green onion are great. If I had to choose, I would pick parsley.
- Umami flavor for vegetarian pea soup: If you want to make vegetarian or vegan pea soup without ham bone, season with smoked paprika at the end. It adds a lot of umami flavour.
- Serving: Split pea soup is high in fiber and carbohydrates, so it is quite filling on its own. Men and kids who require more calories, can enjoy it with a toast or crackers. In Ukraine, my aunt served soup with croutons.
I have leftover pieces of turkey, turkey breasts and parts of the leg but no bones. Will the recipe still taste just as good or should I buy a piece of a turkey wing or something?
Yes, you should be perfectly fine! You have some dark meat so you will get flavor. We often made split pea soup without any meat and it was still delicious. Enjoy!
This soup was so good and really easy to make. Split pea soup has been a favorite of mine since childhood, but I’ll never eat canned soup again! I didn’t cook with the lid on, so it got really thick. I’ll add some water before reheating. I definitely recommend it!
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback! Yes, split pea soup thickens up a lot overnight.
Hello I am about to try the recipe later today. I have a question if I add potatoes when should I add them?
I would add them about 30 minutes before soup is finished.
Hi. Just wondered if you took the meat bones out before you added the split peas or left them in the pot with the peas? Seems it would be difficult to strain them once peas are in.
You will want to leave the bones in as they will add flavor to the soup.