Split Pea Soup Recipe
Split Pea Soup is hearty, comforting, and healthy. It’s made with split peas, homemade stock, ham, and vegetables. Smoked pork neck bones give this soup a special flavor that distinguishes it from any other.
Table of contents
Split pea soup is a very flavorful classic soup with a lot of health benefits. Peas are loaded with antioxidants, fiber, Vitamin K, manganese, and they are a good sources of Omega 3 fats. They’re are great for supporting heart health, stomach health, and many other overall health benefits.
This soup has a very special flavor because of the smoked pork neck bones. I’ve tried making this soup with marrow bones, chicken bones, chicken meat, or just ham, and none of those variations taste as good as smoked pork neck bones.
Note that cooking ham bone stock can take up to three hours. So, take that in consideration or prepare it ahead of time. It’s very easy to make it ahead of time. Just note that homemade stock only lasts about a day or two in the refrigerator. (You can also use a pressure cooker for split pea soup to make some time.)
How to Make Split Pea Soup
- Slow cook ham bones. Cook the smoked ham neck bones in a pot of water with bay leaves on low heat for 2.5 to 3 hours.
- Save the meat and save the stock. When the stock is ready, take out the bones and strain the stock. Take the meat off the bone and make sure there are no little bones left anywhere in meat. Save meat for the soup and discard the bones.
PRO TIP: I always add 10 rather than 8 cups of water because it’s better to end up with extra stock than not enough.
- Prep the peas. Start by rinsing dried peas and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add a little oil for cooking the veggies. Add diced onion and carrots to the pot and cook for a few minutes. Press garlic and and it to the pot. Sauté until fragrant.
- Add peas and pork. Add split peas and meat taken off the bones. Stir and let it sauté for a couple more minutes.
- Add the stock. Pour in about 6 cups of prepared stock but reserve the rest in case you need to make the soup thinner.
- Season it. Add spices and salt to taste. Mix well, and lower the temperature to medium-low. Cover but leave a crack for steam to escape.
- Cook the soup. Cook for about an hour, until the peas are completely cooked and soft. Make sure to stir occasionally. Add more stock if thinner soup is desired.
PRO TIP: Remember that smoked pork neck bones are already salty so taste to see how much salt you need to add.
Recipe FAQs
In my personal experience, soaking the peas has not sped up the cooking time by much. Split peas are so small already, they cook pretty fast. The difference is minimal, so if you forget or don’t have the time, you can simply add them to the soup without soaking. If you do wish to soak them, just a couple of hours is more than enough.
Yes, it’s always best to rinse the dried peas and beans under cold running water before cooking. This washes away any field dirt and dust.
Don’t throw away any leftover smoked ham bone stock! Transfer it into a mason jar store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Or, transfer it into a freezer zip-top bag, get all the air out, and freeze.
You can use leftover stock to thin out the pea soup if it got too thick.
Use the ham stock to make sausage gravy for biscuits and gravy! (So good!)
If you have enough, you can also use it to make pan gravy.
Or, use it in many other sauces to go with pork dinners.
How to Freeze Split Pea Soup
- Cool cooked soup quickly before freezing.
- Portion it into freezer zip-lock bags. Get the air out and seal.
- Label and date each bag and lay them flat on a cutting board. Place it in the freezer.
- Thaw soup in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
How to Freeze Soup Stock
- Cool the stock as quickly as possible.
- You can freeze the whole batch of stock in a large container or freezer zip-top bag of portion it onto several containers.
- Make sure to label and date the freezer bag and get the air out. Seal and place in the freezer.
- To thaw, do it slowly in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
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Split Pea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
Stock:
- 1 lb smoked pork neck bones
- 8-10 cups water
- 1 dry bay leaf
Split Pea Soup:
- 1 lb bag of dry split peas
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp dry parsley
- salt
- black pepper
Instructions
Stock:
- Fill a large soup pot with 8-10 cups of water. I always add 10 rather than 8 cups because it’s better to end up with extra stock than not enough.
- Add smoked pork neck bones to the pot and 1 bay leaf. Set heat to medium-high and bring it to boil. Once water starts to boil, reduce heat to low and let it cook, partially covered, for 2.5 to 3 hours.
- When stock is ready, take out the bones out, and strain the stock. (Use it in soup, refrigerate in an air-tight container, or freeze.)
Split Pea Soup:
- Take meat off the bone, make sure there is no little bones left anywhere in meat. Save meat for the soup and discard the bones.
- Rinse dried peas and set aside.
- Preheat a large pot over medium heat and add a little oil for cooking the veggies.
- Add diced onion and carrots to the pot and saute for a few minutes.
- Press garlic and and it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
- Add split peas and meat taken off the bones. Stir and let it saute for a couple more minutes.
- Pour in about 6 cups of prepared stock but reserve the rest in case you need to make the soup thinner.
- Add spices and salt to taste. Remember that smoked pork neck bones are already salty so taste to see how much salt you need to add. Mix well, and lower the temperature to medium-low. Cover but leave a crack for steam to escape.
- Cook for about an hour, until the peas are completely cooked and soft. Make sure to stir occasionally. Add more stock if thinner soup is desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October 2010.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Thank you! This is the Pea Soup recipe I have been looking for! It’s amazing!
Aw thanks, Eileen! I am so glad you liked it!
I’ve been making this for years since I first saw your recipe. Absolutely the best split pea soup ever!
Thank you so much Colleen! And thanks for taking the time to rate my recipe 🙂
Im making the stock from our Easter ham bone i always add potatoes we just love them. It like a ham stew. And DELICIOUS over homemade greens. ..
Thank you, April! I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Awesone! Easy to make..TASTE DELICIOSO!!
Thank you SO much for coming to let me know! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
This was so delicious!! Made it exactly as written. Didn’t need any salt. So good when you make your own stock. Will be making this again and again!
I am SO happy that you liked it!
It used to be my son’s favorite and how he’s “too cool” for split pea soup 🙂 I’m hoping my baby girl will like in too.