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.
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!!!
Nice recipe! I love doing pea soup in a slow cooker, having been burned more than once when a drop of pea soup “lava” had unexpectedly popped out of a big pot of it cooking on the stove, just as I’d lifted the lid to stir it!!! That stuff can be absolutely treacherous! Slow-cooking it is really the way to go pea soup, and it turns out so perfect and wonderful too!
I often use 1/2 of a Polska kielbasa in pea soup instead of ham, or when I don’t have a ham bone, and freeze the other diced half for making another pot later on, or to use in an omelet, a loaded veggie & chicken broth soup, or a lentil soup. Kielbasa is very versatile and gives pea soup a wonderful flavor! I mostly use Hillshire brand of Polska kielbasa, because it’s easy to find at the store, but any Polish kielbasa would work.
I buy Johnsonville kielbasa because it’s 100% pork. I just bought several packages of smoked pork neckbones specifically for making soup but when I use them up I’ll give your suggestion a try.
Hi I’m 82 yrs old and in an assisted living facility which I love except that the food is yukky, so I’ve been making soups and am ready to try some new recipes. We don’t have kitchenettes (We have what I call “ettes” so about the only thing I can do is use my Crockpot for cooking. I’m interesting in cooking things other than soup, and there are 6 of us who count on my giving us real food at least once a week but its tricky cuz we only have a tiny little sink in the bathroom to wash up in. I’m interested in finding a Nacho recipe using my slow cooker cuz we all love nacho’s. We do have microwaves but without ovens Nachos seem sort of difficult to do. Can you help steer me in the right direction so that maybe we can still have nacho’s?
Hi Judy, this is my favorite recipe for “nachos”. Since you can’t brown the meat, I’ve heard of some people cooking the ground beef on high in the slow cooker (probably 2-3 hours), then crumbling, then continuing with the recipe. (or you can leave the beef out, it’s such a great recipe). https://www.themagicalslowcooker.com/slow-cooker-taco-dip/
I know of someone who often cooks ground beef in their microwave, breaking it up and stirring it around to help it cook more evenly, as they go along at 1 minute or 30 second intervals microwaving it on high, I think. I can’t actually recall the details, since I’d only witnessed it being done once, many years ago, but it had seemed to work ok. You might need to do it 8 oz. at a time, or possibly experiment with using 50% power instead of on High, to prevent over-cooking the beef, but it might be worth trying, at least. There are probably some microwaving tips online about cooking ground beef, also.
Hi, Judy! Maybe you already know? There r liners for slowcookers in grocery stores to buy! Might make cleanup easier since you have sm sink…enjoy! Minika
I only have extra large bullion cubes. Do you think one will be ok instead of two?
One should do it.
Thank you!
Do you think it would taste alright if I added some celery? Also can I use chicken stock instead of chicken bouillon cubes?
Yes! Will be great with celery. And chicken stock instead of water works great.
Thank you!!! Merry Christmas!!
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/