Creamy, smooth, and easy to make, this Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Ham is a classic recipe you must try in the slow cooker.
If you love the comfort food spilt pea soup, then put this on your recipe list ASAP. Put my Split Pea Stew on your list for next week!
I worked as a waitress for years; the soup du jour on Thursday was always split pea with ham. It was crazy how many people came in just to order the split pea soup. Served with a big hunk of cornbread and honey butter, I really can’t think of a better meal.
Recipe Ingredients:
Not many ingredients in this soup, but the results are spectacular.
- Dried Split Peas – One pound of dried split peas, make sure there are no rocks or dirt clumps in them as you add to the slow cooker.
- Vegetables – Diced carrots and onions. Celery can be added as well.
- Ham – Diced ham, can be freshly bought or left overs.
- Dried Thyme – Dried thyme goes great with split peas.
- Chicken Boullion Cubes – This will flavor the soup and add saltiness. No salt is need in this recipe.
- Water – 7 cups of water is the perfect amount of water for one pound of peas.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add everything to the slow cooker. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 9-10 hours.
Step Two – Take a whisk or spoon and stir the soup when the cooking time is up. The peas will dissolve into the broth.
What to serve with this:
Good as is in a mug or choose one or more of these options:
- Saltine or oyster crackers
- French bread or focaccia bread
- Cornbread
- Side salad with dressing
How to make this vegetarian:
- If you would like to make this vegetarian omit the ham.
- Then substitute the chicken bouillon cubes for Not
Chick’n Bouillon Cubes. I find these bouillon cubes in the health food section of my local store. - Or you can use 7 cups of vegetable broth or stock.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Split pea soup is very healthy, and using diced ham instead of ham bone cuts back on fat in the recipe. Though this soup is healthy, it still tastes like comfort food!
Yes, there is no difference between yellow and green peas other than the color. Though, some say yellow split peas are slightly sweeter.
No! The slow cooker will soften them perfectly into a velvety, silky soup.
After split pea soup has been prepared, it thickens when the lid has been taken off or refrigerated. Add a splash of water or chicken broth and stir, and the soup will be a perfect consistency again.
Want to use a ham bone instead of ham? Use one large or two small ham bones to replace the diced ham. Shred the ham off the bones and add to the soup when the cooking time is up. Discard the ham bones and fat.
You can make this into a freezer meal! You place all the ingredients in a ziplock bag (except the water) and freeze until ready to cook. Thaw, add contents of the bag to slow cooker, add water and cook as directed on the recipe card.
Split pea soup will keep the fridge for up to five days or three months in the refrigerator. You will need to add water to thin out the soup, for it will thicken considerably after storing.
Can I use Hurst’s Hambeens Spilt Pea Soup Mix with Ham in this recipe?
- Yes, though Hurst’s Spilt Pea mix package size is 20 ounces compared to the 16 ounces of split peas that I use in this recipe. Add 1 more cup of water if you use Hurst’s Split Pea Mix.
- Omit the chicken bouillon if you use the included ham seasoning packet. Be sure to wait until the end of the cooking time to add the ham seasoning packet.
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Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 16 oz. dried split peas
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 cups ham diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 7 cups of water
Instructions:
- Add the split peas (no need to pre-soak), onion, carrots, thyme, ham, chicken bouillon cubes and water to the slow cooker. Stir.
- Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- When cooking time is done, whisk the soup until creamy.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Yes, though Hurst’s Spilt Pea mix package size is 20 ounces compared to the 16 ounces of split peas that I use in this recipe. Add 1 more cup of water if you use Hurst’s Split Pea Mix.
- Omit the chicken bouillon if you use the included ham seasoning packet. Be sure to wait until the end of the cooking time to add the ham seasoning packet.
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
This came out oh-sooo-good, thank you!!
Very simple and quick to prepare, and super flavorful. I’ve added this to my favorite recipes. 🙂
If I elimante the 7 cups water and the 2 chicken bouillon cubes, can I just use 7 cups of chicken broth?
Yes! I do that often.
Thanks for the recipe. I used to make it many years sgo and I decided to look for a recipe. I didn’t add the vegetables as my hubby just wants the peas with the ham in it and we had cornbread with it along wisaltines… I do feel it would be good with the vegetables in it though and my son said the same thing. He’s the cook in my household.
I haven’t made the soup yet but I would like to know the difference in taste between all the alternate spices that could be used in the comments: marjoram, bay leave, thyme or oregano – thank you
It will taste like the spice you use. I prefer thyme for this recipe over all the others.
When this in the crockpot can you make dumplings and add them before the soup is done when I makes it on the stove I adds them half hour before it’s done.
Great, simple fool-proof recipe. Don’t have to stand in front of stove all day, as a old truck mechanic I give this recipe the highest marks!
I really love this recipe. It uses considerably less ingredients than the recipe I was using but it’s just as good or better.
For those who would like to substitute vegetable broth, I’d suggest buying a bag of Vegeta All Purpose Seasoning and Soup Mix. It’s a vegetable bouillon powder that’s widely used in Eastern Europe. You just add a level teaspoon to a cup of warm water and you have a cup of vegetable broth. I’ve compared it to vegetable broth made with Better Than Bouillon vegetable flavor bouillon and the broth I made with Vegeta was just as good or better and less expensive. I bought a bag of Vegeta on amazon.com and paid 17.99 plus a few cents tax for a bag weighing 4 pounds and 6 ounces. This amounted to 26 cents an ounce.
Thank you for the amazing recipe!!! So easy to make and so yummy!!!