Creamy Split Pea Soup

This Creamy Split Pea Soup is made with a ham bone and simple spices, slow-simmered for rich flavor and a smooth texture. This is the perfect cold-weather meal; thick, savory, and deeply satisfying without being heavy. Slowly simmered split peas naturally break down, creating a creamy texture, while a ham bone adds richness and depth.
This is the soup I turn to when the weather turns cold, and there’s a leftover Christmas ham bone in the freezer, just waiting to be used.

Are Split Peas Lentils?

No. While both are legumes, split peas and lentils come from different plants and cook differently. While green lentils tend to hold their shape, dried split peas soften and break down as they simmer, creating a smooth, velvet texture that’s ideal for soup.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A smart way to use leftover holiday ham
• Naturally creamy, no cream required
• Rich, savory flavor from slow simmering
• Ideal for cold-weather meals
• Freezer-friendly and great for make-ahead batch cooking
• High in fiber and plant-based protein 
• Uses both dried split peas and frozen green peas
• Gluten-free

Creamy Split Pea Soup: A Post-Holiday Tradition

After we’ve eaten almost all the Christmas ham, I like to place the remaining ham bone into the freezer, knowing it will be put to good use in January. Once the holidays are behind us, we usually shift into a bit of a reset; lighter meals and more vegetables to support healthier January eating.
This green split pea soup fits the bill: it’s comforting on cold winter nights, naturally healthy (hello fiber!), and a welcome change from the rich dishes we were enjoying just a few weeks earlier. This green pea soup with ham helps ease the transition from holiday indulgence back into everyday cooking.

Ingredients

• Split Green Peas: Create a naturally creamy texture as they cook; rinse well and discard any small stones.
• Frozen Green Peas: Optional, but blended in at the end to naturally brighten the soup’s color.
• Onion, Carrots, and Celery: Also known as mirepoix, the foundation of every great soup or stew.
• Allspice: Adds a subtle warmth that complements the ham and peas.
• Fresh Thyme and Bay Leaves: Bring subtle herbal notes during simmering.
• Chicken Stock: Regular stock works best; if you use low-sodium stock, adjust salt to taste.
• Ham Bone: Adds a subtle, smoky flavor to the soup as it simmers; 1 1/2 cups cubed ham or smoked ham hock are good alternatives.
  Refer to the printable recipe card below for ingredient quantities and detailed instructions.

How to Make Creamy Split Pea Soup

1. Sauté the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil until glossy. Add seasoning.
2. Stir in the split peas to coat them in the vegetables and spices.
3. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaves, and ham bone.

4. Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are very soft.
5. Optional: Blend frozen peas with stock until smooth to add green color.
6. Remove the ham bone and herbs.

7. Blend the soup until smooth, or leave it slightly chunky if you prefer.
8. Stir in the green pea purée (optional).
9. Chop any meat from the ham bone and add it back to the soup.

Creamy Split Pea Soup Substitutions & Variations

• If you don’t have a ham bone, substitute with 1 ½ cups of cubed ham or smoked ham hock.
• Thyme and bay leaves are classic herbs for split pea soup, but rosemary, oregano, or sage are also good options.
• To make a potato and pea soup, add diced potatoes during the last 15 minutes of cooking time and skip the blending.
• If ham isn’t your thing, omit it for a simple vegetable split pea soup, or make a chicken split pea soup by stirring in chopped rotisserie chicken during the final few minutes of cooking.
• The spices in split pea soup are flexible; add cayenne for heat or curry powder for a different flavor profile.

Optional: Why I Add Green Peas

I prefer a ‘green’ split pea soup (even though split peas often cook up more brown than green). That’s why this recipe includes blended green peas stirred in at the end, purely for color. The peas give the soup a brighter, fresher green hue without changing the classic flavor.
In short, the peas are a visual enhancement, not a requirement, and this step is completely optional.
In short, the peas are a visual enhancement, not a requirement. If you skip them, use only 6 cups of stock for the soup and omit the additional stock used for blending.

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Are Split Peas Healthy?

Yes, split peas are not only delicious in soups but also highly nutritious. This legume is rich in plant-based protein and dietary fiber, nutrients that help support digestion, steady energy levels, and feelings of fullness. According to the American Heart Association, beans and other legumes are recommended as part of a healthy eating pattern because they provide these benefits without the saturated fat and cholesterol found in some animal proteins.

Make Ahead and Storage Info

Make-Ahead: This soup stores and reheats well, making it ideal for advance meal prep.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Place cooled soup in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Frozen pea soup can be thawed on the counter and then reheated in the microwave oven.

Creamy Split Pea Soup FAQs

Creamy Split Pea Soup

Creamy split pea soup made with a ham bone and simple spices, slow-simmered for rich flavor and a smooth texture.

*Quick Note Before You Dive In: This recipe card covers the basics, but if you want to know how to naturally achieve a brighter green soup, scroll back up! Everything you need for foolproof results is in the post.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Soup

Cuisine American, Canadian

Servings 8 as a meal

Calories 454 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 16 ounce bag dried green split peas
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ cups (454g) chopped onion about 1 large
• 2 cups (260g) chopped carrots about 2-3 large carrots
• 1 cup (110g) diced celery about 2-3 ribs
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 quarts chicken stock divided
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 ham bone with some meat on it
• 16 ounce bag frozen green peas

Equipment

• Immersion blender

Instructions

 

• In a colander, rinse split peas under running water and pick through them to discard any small stones or other debris. Set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot or heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions turn translucent.
• Stir in the garlic, salt, black pepper, and allspice. Cook for 2 minutes just until fragrant.
• Add the split peas, stirring to coat the ingredients.
• Pour in 6 cups of the chicken stock, add the thyme and bay leaves, and nestle the ham bone into the pot.
• Increase the heat to high, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to low, cover, and simmer for 45 to 50 minutes, until the split peas are very soft and beginning to break down.
• Meanwhile, combine the remaining 2 cups of stock with the frozen green peas in a large bowl. Blend using an immersion (stick) blender until completely smooth and bright green.
• Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves, then remove the ham bone. Stir in the green pea purée.
• Cook for a few minutes more, stirring until heated through. Pull any meat off the bone, chop it, and add it back to the soup. Heat until the ham is warm. Season to taste, and then serve warm.

Notes

*A note on Kosher salt: This recipe uses kosher salt. If you’re using table salt, use half the amount. Kosher salt has larger, airier crystals that take up more space, so a teaspoon of kosher salt actually contains less salt by weight than a teaspoon of table salt.

To adapt the recipe for vegetarian split pea soup, use a vegetable-based stock and omit the ham.

Soup will thicken as it cools down, so be mindful of this when serving. You can add more stock or even water if needed.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated and provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for professional dietary advice.

Nutrition

Serving: 380gCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 30gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 727mgPotassium: 1208mgFiber: 19gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 5955IUVitamin C: 30mgCalcium: 84mgIron: 5mg

Keyword comfort food, gluten free dinner, green split peas, pea soup, soup, split pea soup, what to make with leftover ham, winter recipe

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This Creamy Split Pea Soup is a simple way to turn leftovers into a nourishing, satisfying winter meal. For more winter comfort food ideas, see this curated roundup of Winter Comfort Food Recipes.