Yellow Split Pea and Ham Soup

This Yellow Split Pea and Ham Soup is both simple to prepare and incredibly tasty. Enhanced with fresh thyme, it makes for a nourishing option for either lunch or dinner!

Why You’ll 🫶🏻 this Soup

If you enjoy hearty and flavorful soups, this recipe is bound to become a staple in your kitchen. The delightful blend of tender yellow split peas and smoky ham creates a rich, satisfying taste that’s perfect for those chilly nights. Not only is this soup delicious, but it’s also packed with protein, fiber, and essential vitamins, making it a nutritious choice. The slow-cooking process allows the flavors to meld beautifully, resulting in a velvety texture and depth of flavor that will have you reaching for seconds. This yellow split pea soup with ham is a comforting dish that will remind you of cozy family dinners and warm gatherings. Happy cooking! ~Nicole

The past few days have been cool and rainy. Good for the flowers, but not good for the spring soccer season. This is a comforting bowl of soup to warm the body. The yellow split peas are packed with fiber, good for the heart, and help stabilize blood sugar levels– perfect for those energy-burning soccer bodies. Aside from the nutritional benefits, it also helps use up Easter ham leftovers — perfect for moms like me. I make this soup year-round, not just after Easter, so I am listing the liquid ingredients as chicken broth, for that is what I use a majority of the time. However, you can use water and the leftover ham bone to really add a depth of flavor to this soup.

As much as I enjoy this right from the pot, storing any leftovers gives it that “next-day goodness”. On that note, if you do have leftovers, the soup will thicken significantly and will need to be thinned with additional broth before reheating and serving. I like to serve this soup with some Brown Soda Bread and a little butter to wipe up every last bit of goodness from the bottom of the bowl.

Yellow Split Pea Soup with Ham

By Nicole Prep: 10 minsCook: 2 hrs 30 minsTotal: 2 hrs 40 mins Servings: 8 This soup is full of protein and is an excellent choice for everyone to enjoy!

Equipment

• Large Dutch oven

Ingredients 

• 1 pound dried yellow split peas, rinsed and sorted
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 medium celery stalks, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 quarts chicken stock, plus more to thin
• 2 cups cooked ham, cut into ½-inch dice
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions 

1. In a large stock pot, bring the split peas, vegetables, thyme, bay leaf, and stock to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, the split peas have broken down, and the soup is thickened– about 2 ½ to 3 hours. Add the diced ham and cook just until warmed through. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

• The stored can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Once cooled, the soup can be stored in a freezer-safe container or bag and frozen for up to 3 months.
• The soup thickens when stored in the refrigerator or freezer, so you will need to thin it with additional stock when reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcal, Carbohydrates: 46g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 692mg, Potassium: 986mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 2727IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.