“From Scratch” Classic Split Pea Soup

Classic Split Pea Soup is my tried and true, go-to recipe for using leftover ham after the holidays. Thick, delicious pieces of ham and slices of tender carrot give substance to this velvety soup.

Made entirely from scratch, this soup tastes hearty and delicious after all that not-so-healthy feasting. And if you’re still stuffed from your big holiday meal, you can freeze your split pea soup to enjoy it on another day.

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What Is Split Pea Soup?

For as long as I can remember, we’ve enjoyed a delicious, bone-in ham on Christmas Day and Split Pea Soup in the days that followed. Split Pea Soup is made from ham or chicken broth, dried green peas, onions, carrots, and seasoning. This soup is a heavy and hearty dish that is ideal for winter.

The origins of split pea soup might sound familiar to you. British Pease pudding dates back as far as the 14th century and is a porridge made from dried yellow peas. In the 18th century, sailors boiled pease pudding with salt pork, which was the earliest form of split peas soup.

The secret behind making an amazing batch of this soup is to use the ham bone to make stock before adding the other ingredients. Not only does the soup take on a bolder taste, but it becomes thicker and richer from the gelatin in the bone. I usually only make split pea soup when I have a ham bone available, but chicken broth can be substituted if desired.

Do You Have Any Tips for a Fantastic Tasting Soup?

Yes!

Stir the soup often as it simmers. It takes time for the split peas to break down in the soup. Stirring brings up all the peas from the bottom and filters the hot liquid around them, helping them to dissolve.

If you’re in a hurry, use an immersion blender along the bottom of the pot to speed up the dissolving process. The downside of that is that the carrots can get caught up in the blender as well. I really like having carrot slices in my soup for color and added texture, so I try to be careful if I use my immersion blender.

After chilling the soup, you may discover a gelatinous layer on top of the more-solid soup. Leave it alone. This is from the collagen in the ham bone and will dissolve when heated. It is the material responsible for giving the soup its richness.

Can This Soup Be Frozen?

Yes!

This is an excellent soup to freeze. Allow it to cool, then pour into Ziploc freezer bags or freezer containers with tight-fitting lids. It is best to freeze the soup in amounts that you would be likely to use whether those are single servings or enough for a family meal. Label the containers with the date, then place them in the freezer. This soup will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To serve, you can either heat from frozen or thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Any leftover soup cannot be refrozen, so make sure you can use ell that you thaw!

Print

Directions

• Cut as much ham off the bone as you can and set aside. Place the bone in a large pot and cover with about 8 cups of water. Cover. Simmer over medium-low heat for 3 hours.
• Remove the bone from the pot. Strain sediment from the liquid, then return the liquid to the pot. Discard the bone.
  
  Add split peas, onions, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir.
• Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring often, until peas are broken down and soup has thickened. Add ham and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well before serving.

Do You Have Other Soup Recipes?

• Grandma’s specialty became the namesake of this blog. Try our Chicken Soup with Dumplings
• Love spicy food? Turkey Gumbo! is a staple after-Thanksgiving dinner in our house
• We can never get enough of this velvety smooth Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Classic Split Pea Soup

Recipe by Chicken Soup with DumplingsCourse: Recipes, Sides, SoupsDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking Time

5

minutes

Thick, delicious pieces of ham and slices of tender carrot give substance to this velvety soup that tastes so good after the feasting of the holidays.

Ingredients

• Ham bone

• 16 oz bag split peas

• 1 large onion, diced

• 1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced

• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 cups leftover ham

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Cut as much ham off the bone as you can and set aside.
• Place bone in large pot and cover with 8 cups of water. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 3 hours.
• Remove bone from the pot. Strain sediment from the liquid, then return the liquid to pot. Discard the bone.
• Add split peas, onions, carrots, thyme, and bay leaf. Stir.
• Cover and simmer for one hour, stirring often, until peas are broken down and soup has thickened.
• Add ham and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well before serving.

Notes

• Classic Split Pea Soup freezes well! Just pour into a freezer-safe container or ziploc freezer bag. Soup can be frozen for up to three months.

Be sure to check out our “Soup’s On!” Pinterest board for even more soup recipes, gathered for you from all over the internet!

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