Recipe – Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup turns a bag of dried peas, a few vegetables, and leftover ham into a hearty, inexpensive meal. As the peas cook, they soften and break apart, giving the broth a thick, creamy texture without cream. Ham adds a savory, smoky flavor, while carrots, celery, and onion provide a familiar soup-pot foundation.

This slow cooker version needs about 20 minutes of preparation, followed by several hours of mostly unattended cooking. Leave it chunky, blend a portion for a smoother finish, or let the peas break down naturally. Serve it with cornbread or crusty bread, and save any leftovers: the soup reheats well, though it usually needs a splash of water.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 4 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low
Total time: About 4 hours 20 minutes to 10 hours 20 minutes

Cooking time varies with the slow cooker and the age of the dried peas. The soup is ready when the peas are completely tender, not simply when the timer ends.

Ingredients

– 2 to 3 carrots, chopped, about 1½ cups (190 g)
– 3 to 4 celery stalks, chopped, about 1½ cups (150 g)
– 1 medium onion, chopped
– 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
– 1 pound (454 g) dried green split peas, sorted and rinsed
– 1 meaty, fully cooked ham bone, or 2 cups (about 280 g) diced cooked ham
– 8 cups (1.9 liters) low-sodium chicken broth
– 2 teaspoons ground coriander
– 1 teaspoon dried thyme
– ½ teaspoon dried sage
– ½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
– 1½ teaspoons yellow curry powder, optional
– Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
– Salt, as needed after cooking

Instructions

1. Prepare the peas and ham. Spread the dried peas on a plate or baking sheet and check for small stones or other debris. Rinse the peas in a fine-mesh strainer. Trim excess surface fat from the ham bone, if using. Split peas do not need soaking.

2. Fill the slow cooker. Place the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and split peas in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the ham bone, if using, followed by the broth, coriander, thyme, sage, rosemary, optional curry powder, and a little black pepper. If using diced cooked ham instead of a bone, reserve it for the end.

3. Cook until tender. Cover and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours. Keep the lid closed as much as possible. Near the end of the cooking time, stir and check the peas. They should crush easily against the side of the cooker, without a firm or chalky center. Continue cooking if needed.

4. Remove the bone. Transfer the ham bone to a plate. When it is cool enough to handle, pull off the meat and chop it. Discard the bone, excess fat, and any tough pieces. Check the soup for loose bone fragments before blending or serving.

5. Adjust the texture. Stir well for a rustic soup. For a creamier texture, briefly use an immersion blender before returning the meat to the pot. Blend only part of the soup if you want to keep some vegetable pieces intact.

6. Add the ham and finish. Stir in the meat from the bone or the reserved diced cooked ham. Cover and continue cooking until the ham is hot throughout. Add a little hot water or broth if the soup is thicker than you prefer. Taste before adding salt, since the ham and broth may supply enough.

Getting the Texture and Flavor Right

Green split peas are dried peas that have been hulled and split. They are different from fresh or frozen green peas, which will not produce the same thick soup. Yellow split peas also work in this recipe, although the color and flavor will differ slightly.

The peas provide most of the thickening, so blending is optional. Stirring may be enough once they are fully cooked. If the soup seems thin, let it stand briefly before making adjustments; it thickens as it cools. If it becomes too dense, add liquid a little at a time.

An immersion blender is convenient because the soup stays in the cooker. If using a countertop blender, first confirm that it is suitable for hot liquids. Let the soup cool slightly, work in small batches, and follow the manufacturer’s venting and fill-limit instructions. Never blend hot soup in a sealed personal blender cup.

The curry powder is optional and gives the soup a warmer, more pronounced spice flavor. Omit it for a more traditional ham-and-pea combination. Add any acidic finishing ingredients, such as a small splash of vinegar, only after the peas are tender, since acid can slow softening.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Refrigerate leftover soup within two hours of cooking. Divide it among shallow containers so it cools promptly rather than leaving a large, hot batch in the slow cooker insert. Keep refrigerated soup for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it in meal-size portions for up to 3 months for best quality. Leave some space in freezer containers for expansion.

Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat, stirring frequently and adding water or broth as needed. Heat leftovers to 165°F (74°C). A slow cooker is not recommended for reheating cold leftovers because it may heat them too slowly.

Store unused dried split peas in a tightly closed container in a cool, dry cupboard. Older peas can take longer to soften, so use the oldest package first.

For a make-ahead meal, portion the finished split pea soup before refrigerating it. A little added broth during reheating will bring it back to a spoonable consistency, ready for lunch or another supper with bread.