Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
66 Comments Jun 07, 2024
Updated Oct 08, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Creamy, smooth, and easy to make, this Crockpot Split Pea Soup with ham is a classic recipe you must try in the slow cooker. The ingredients come together to make a hearty soup that is sure to be enjoyed by the whole family.
If you love split pea soup, then you may also enjoy my Slow Cooker Chickpeas and Slow Cooker Black Eyed Peas, or Slow Cooker Lentil Soup.
Table of Contents
Why you should try this
When you’re looking for a unique way to cook a vegetable-heavy meal, slow cooking a few veggies combined with a delicious chicken or vegetable broth makes for an awesome recipe and pure comfort food. This soup also has a quick prep time and the cooking time is nice and long, which leaves you with plenty of time for getting everything else done for the day and providing a great meal for dinner.
Recipe Ingredients:
- Dried Split Peas – One pound of dried peas, make sure there are no rocks or dirt clumps in them as you add to the slow cooker.
- Vegetables – Diced carrots, onions, and celery are diced and used to make the perfect split pea soup.
- Ham – Diced ham can be freshly bought or you can use leftover ham.
- Dried Herbs – Dried thyme, fresh rosemary, and a bay leaf go great with split peas.
- Chicken Broth – This will flavor the soup and add the right amount of chicken flavor.
- Seasonings – Minced garlic, salt, and black pepper ensure the taste of this soup is well-balanced.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add the split peas, vegetables and seasonings to the slow cooker.
Step Two – Pour over the chicken broth and water. Cover and cook for 8 hours without opening the lid.
Step Three – Take a whisk or spoon and stir the soup when the cooking time is up. The peas will dissolve into the broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with this:
- Pea soup can be served with a side of Italian bread or a crusty bread of your choice. Try my Slow Cooker Focaccia Bread.
- It also pairs well alongside a fresh garden salad.
- When it comes to toppings, you can add sauteed ham cubes, sour cream, freshly ground black pepper, or a drizzle of olive oil. Don’t forget the saltines or oyster crackers.
How to make this vegetarian:
- If you would like to make this vegetarian, omit the ham.
- Then substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
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 leftover ham bone 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 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.
More slow cooker soup recipes like this one:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana
- Slow Cooker Ham and Beans
- Slow Cooker French Onion Soup
- Slow Cooker Ham and Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean and Kielbasa Soup
Want to make more magic in your crockpot? Stay up to date and subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
How to Video
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dried green split peas, sorted and rinsed (about 2 ¼ cups)
- 2 cups cubed ham
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 rosemary sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 thyme sprigs or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley, chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Add the split peas, ham, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, chicken broth and water.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hours, or on LOW for 8-9 hours.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste (you may not need salt at all, depending how salty your ham is). Add more water if you soup thickens too much.
Sarah’s 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
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Do i have to use thyme?
No, you can leave it out or use oregano instead.
I have a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and they have a recipe which uses 1/4 teaspoon of dried marjoram. You can try that or use a bay leaf instead. Or you can use both marjoram and a bay leaf.
Marjoram FTW. I would use it instead.
This recipe is amazing! I add only one ingredient (1 teaspoon of crush red pepper flakes) because I like it a little spicy.
THANK YOU for providing a recipe that doesn’t call for pre-sauteeing anything before leaving the Pot to do is job while I go to mine! I see that part of a recipe and my eyes glaze over before I turn the page or hit the Back arrow I do plan to butter the sides of the Pot and put the onions up against the sides so they get a little browned, but that’s where I draw the line. I know this will be delicious because pea soup is one of my winter go-to easy dinners, and there’s something magical that cooked legumes do, even with minimal seasonings…
Can I cook on high in slow cooker for 5 hours?
I’m curious about this too! I only have 4 settings on my slow cooker and I’m not sure what would be best – low (4 or 6 hours) or high (8 or 10 hours)
Choose low for 10 hours. If you ever have a recipe that doesn’t match your settings you have to be home to manually stop your slow cooker.
Yes, that should work fine.
If adding potatoes, will the cook time still be 10 hours?
You can do 8-10 hours and they will cook up fine. Here is my split pea stew recipe that has big chunks of potatoes. https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-split-pea-stew/
Best Pea Soup recipe I ever made. DELICIOUS
This is wonderful split pea soup! Everyone I share it loves it! Thank you
Love that you post nutritional facts. I have kidney disease and have to watch sodium and potassium numbers closely. Any help will be appreciated when posting recipes. Hard to follow certain recipes with my problem. God bless have a great day!
I made this for my daughter and me, and it was delicious! Made it exactly as written (except used only half the thyme). Next time I make this I think I will add some celery and a little salt and pepper, but it was great just as written!
I would like to know if I Can use ham broth instead of chicken broth?
Yes! I think that would be even better. I’ve never seen it to buy.