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Rustic bowl of green split pea soup with ham, carrots, and celery, garnished with fresh thyme

Split Pea Soup Recipe with Ham: Ready in 90 Minutes

One-pot split pea soup with ham, carrots, and celery simmers into a thick, hearty bowl with no soaking needed. Ready in 90 minutes, and leftovers keep up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried green split peas rinsed and picked over
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
  • 8 oz cooked ham diced (smoked ham or a ham steak both work)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 2 celery stalks chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
  • water as needed, to thin the soup

Method
 

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  2. Add the split peas, broth, ham, smoked paprika, thyme, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil.
  3. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 to 75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, until the peas are fully tender and the soup is thick. If it gets too thick before the peas are tender, stir in a splash of broth or water.
  4. Remove from the heat and taste for salt and pepper. For a creamier texture, mash some of the peas against the side of the pot or give the soup a few quick pulses with an immersion blender.
  5. Ladle into bowls and serve hot. Cool leftovers and refrigerate up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months; loosen with broth when reheating.