Split Pea Soup with Ham
A thick, spoon-coating green split pea soup built on a smoked ham hock that seasons the pot as it simmers, then gets shredded back in for meaty bites throughout. The peas need no soaking — they collapse into a naturally creamy base after about an hour of gentle simmering, no blender required. A splash of cider vinegar at the end brightens all that smoky, earthy richness.
Rinse and pick over 450 g (1 lb) green split peas — no soaking needed. Sweat diced onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil in a large pot for 8 minutes, bloom minced garlic and thyme for 2, then add the peas, a smoked ham hock, 1.4 L (6 cups) low-sodium chicken broth, 480 ml (2 cups) water, and 2 bay leaves. Boil, skim, then simmer partially covered on low for about 55 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes so the bottom doesn't scorch. Pull the hock, shred the meat, and simmer the soup uncovered 15 more minutes until the peas fully collapse. Stir the ham back in with 1 tablespoon cider vinegar, salt to taste, and rest 10 minutes before serving — it thickens as it sits.
- Skip soaking, but do rinse the peas and fish out any pebbles or shriveled ones — they cook to creaminess in about 70 minutes on their own.
- Hold off on salt until the very end: the ham hock and broth release plenty, and it's easy to oversalt early.
- Stir from the bottom every 15 minutes; split peas settle and scorch silently, and one burned patch flavors the whole pot.
Equipment
- 5.5-liter (6-quart) Dutch oven or heavy soup pot with lid
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Tongs
- Ladle
Składniki
Soup
- 450 g dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
- 30 ml olive oil
- large yellow onion, diced
- medium carrots, diced
- celery stalks, diced
- garlic cloves, minced
- fresh thyme leaves, or 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 680 g smoked ham hock, or a meaty leftover ham bone
- 1.4 L low-sodium chicken broth
- 480 ml water
- bay leaves
- freshly ground black pepper
- 15 ml apple cider vinegar, stirred in at the end
- fine sea salt, added only after tasting — the hock is salty
For serving
- chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Przygotowanie
- KROK01
Pour the split peas into a bowl of cold water, swish, and pick out any pebbles, debris, or shriveled peas. Drain well. Dice the onion, carrots, and celery into roughly 1 cm (1/2-inch) pieces and mince the garlic.
- KROK02
Heat the olive oil in a 5.5-liter (6-quart) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent but not browned, about 8 minutes.
- KROK03
Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook just until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Don't let the garlic color — it turns bitter fast in a mostly dry pot.
- KROK04
Add the drained split peas, nestle in the ham hock, and pour in the broth and water. Drop in the bay leaves and black pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil, then skim off any gray foam that rises to the surface.
- KROK05
Reduce the heat to low so the soup barely bubbles, set the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for about 55 minutes. Every 15 minutes, stir all the way down to the bottom of the pot — split peas sink and will scorch if left alone. If the soup looks too thick before the peas are tender, add a splash of hot water.
- KROK06
Using tongs, lift the ham hock to a cutting board and let it cool a few minutes. Meanwhile, keep the soup simmering uncovered for about 15 more minutes, until the peas have completely broken down into a thick, creamy base. Pull the meat from the hock, discard the skin, bone, and fat, and chop or shred the meat into bite-size pieces.
- KROK07
Fish out the bay leaves. Stir the shredded ham and the cider vinegar into the pot, then taste and season with salt and more pepper — depending on your hock, you may need anywhere from a pinch to a teaspoon of salt. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest 10 minutes; it thickens noticeably as it settles.
- KROK08
Give the pot a final stir and ladle into warm bowls. Top with chopped parsley, a thin drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a grind of black pepper.
Make ahead
This soup is genuinely better on day two, once the smoke and pea flavors have merged. Make it up to 2 days ahead, refrigerate, and thin with broth when reheating. If making ahead, wait to add the parsley and olive oil drizzle until serving. You can also prep the diced vegetables and rinse the peas a day in advance.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The soup sets almost solid when cold — that's the pea starch, not a flaw. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth or water, stirring, until it loosens to your preferred consistency. It also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Variations
Vegetarian (and vegan) smoky pea soup
Skip the ham hock and use vegetable broth. To replace the smoke, add 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika with the garlic and finish with an extra teaspoon of cider vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil. A half teaspoon of soy-free liquid smoke also works if you have it.
Canadian-style yellow pea soup
Swap in yellow split peas and add 1/2 teaspoon dried savory (the classic Québécois herb) with the thyme. Yellow peas taste slightly milder and sweeter and cook in about the same time.
Slow cooker version
Sweat the vegetables on the stove first, then combine everything except the vinegar and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 5, shred the hock meat, and stir it back in with the vinegar and salt to finish.
Serve with
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition values are estimates based on the metric measurements. Adjust as needed.
Najczęstsze pytania
Do I need to soak split peas before making split pea soup?
No. Unlike whole dried beans, split peas have had their skins removed and are split in half, so they hydrate and soften quickly. A good rinse and a pick-through for pebbles is all they need — they'll break down into a creamy split pea soup in roughly 70 minutes of gentle simmering.
Why are my peas still firm after an hour of simmering?
Usually one of three things: the peas are old (they toughen with age — buy from a store with turnover), your water is very hard, or something acidic went in too early. That's why the cider vinegar is added only at the end. If the peas are stubborn, just keep simmering and add hot water as needed; even old peas get there eventually.
Can I make split pea soup without a ham hock?
Yes. Stir in 225 g (1 1/2 cups) diced ham steak or leftover holiday ham during the last 20 minutes, or start the pot by crisping 4 slices of chopped bacon and sweating the vegetables in the fat. A smoked turkey leg is a great pork-free stand-in — treat it exactly like the hock.
Should I blend the soup?
You don't have to — split peas dissolve into a naturally thick, rustic purée on their own, and the diced vegetables give pleasant texture. If you prefer it completely silky, pull out the hock first, blitz the soup briefly with an immersion blender, then stir the shredded ham back in.
My split pea soup turned solid in the fridge. Did I do something wrong?
Not at all — that's normal. Split peas release a lot of starch, so chilled split pea soup sets up like porridge. Reheat it slowly over medium-low heat, whisking in broth or water a splash at a time until it loosens, and taste for salt again, since chilling mutes seasoning.
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