Chunky and flavorful Slow Cooker Spilt Pea Stew is satisfying dinner!
Hi all! Do you love split pea soup? I’m guessing you do if you clicked to get here to this recipe. I love split pea soup, but it seems not quite enough to be a complete meal. I added loads of thick cut veggies to my classic split pea recipe and made it a thick and satisfying stew. This recipe is great for using leftover ham, and if you have a leftover ham bone, use that too in this recipe. I had tons of leftover ham after making my Slow Cooker Apple and Clove Ham, that leftover ham worked great in this recipe.
In addition to the split peas, ham and veggies I add bay leaves, black pepper and dried thyme. I can’t make split pea without dried thyme, it really makes the flavor of the split peas pop. Make sure to use the dried leaf thyme, not ground.
I also add 7 cups of chicken stock, this may seem like a lot, but it’s just the right amount for the peas to melt into to and have enough broth for the veggies without being too thick.
I was pleasantly surprised how good the potatoes tasted in this soup, a match made in heaven with the creamy peas.
This is my new favorite soup, I can’t get enough of it! Though my 7-year old wouldn’t touch this soup with a 10 foot pole, I think some day she’ll come around to love split pea soup as much as my husband and I do.
Have a great week and a good holiday weekend. I’ll be back full-time adding recipes on Monday.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew
Ingredients
- 1 lb. dry split peas
- 7 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups ham pieces or cubed ham
- leftover ham bone optional
- 4 cups quartered baby red potatoes
- 1 white onion, diced
- 4 carrots, sliced large
- 3 celery stalks, sliced large
- 1 tsp. dried leaf thyme
- ¼ tsp. pepper
- 1 bay leaves
Instructions
- Add everything to the slow cooker, stir.
- Cover and cook on LOW For 8-9 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- When the cooking time is up remove and discard ham bone (if used) and bay leaves.
- Stir the soup gently until the spit peas melt throughout the stew.
- Serve and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
I used my 6-quart Crock-Pot® slow cooker for this recipe.
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Olga says
December 22, 2016 at 5:07 pmI made this soup and the peas are not softening. I have now cooked it for over 9 hours. Any ides?
Sarah Olson says
December 22, 2016 at 8:13 pmDid you leave the lid on the entire time? I don’t know why they wouldn’t soften, unless they were old. I just read online that peas in bins don’t soften as well as peas in 1lb bags. Just some ideas.
Anonymous says
October 19, 2018 at 10:25 amSoak peas in water overnight then drain to get rid of water, before putting peas in slow cooker.
Margarette Karasz says
February 9, 2017 at 2:36 pmYou can soak the peas overnight. I do this also with white beans for bean & ham soup
Fenella Brammer says
February 20, 2017 at 11:43 pmHi, what colour are the peas ? We have 2 here in UK
Sarah Olson says
February 21, 2017 at 8:17 amGreen. We have two here, but rarely use the orange kind.
Niki says
March 22, 2017 at 10:49 amif you like this – you’d love Newfoundland Pea Soup and Dumplings! It’s almost the same! I bet you could cook the dumplings right in the slow cooker as well, as traditionally they are cooked on top of the soup before eating anyways. Delish.
Sarah Olson says
March 22, 2017 at 11:09 amOh my goodness Niki, I’ve never heard of that, but now I must research and make it in the slow cooker. Thank you so much!
Niki says
March 23, 2017 at 8:13 amIn some parts of the Island we call the dumplings “doughboys”. That’s what I grew up calling them. 🙂
D D says
November 16, 2017 at 2:38 pmHi Sarah, I am cooking for a client, can I cook on high? how long…. please reply asap, I go in tomorrow @9am pct ddra2010 @ yahoo com…. thanks
Sarah Olson says
November 16, 2017 at 3:07 pmprobably about 6 hours on high.
Patricia Roulston says
August 7, 2018 at 8:08 pmIf you buy some peas bulk in New Zealand they are sometimes processed on arrival under extremely high heat to make sure they aren’t carry pests. This process makes them incredibly difficult to soften. So, sometimes it is best to buy recognised brands that have an agreement that on importation their peas do not go through this process
Sarah Olson says
August 8, 2018 at 10:13 amthanks for the tips. I’ve never thought of that! I wonder if beans are the same.
iluminameluna says
August 11, 2018 at 4:59 pmMy recipe is similar except I don’t add onions or carrots because the peas are sweet enough on their own. Instead I add about half a head of garlic only. Doesn’t taste garlicky, just super robust and mellow. No chicken broth of if us a ham bone either. Same reason, too much sweetness.
Sarah Olson says
August 12, 2018 at 9:05 amThankyou so much for the tips!
SCV says
September 8, 2018 at 12:34 amHi Sarah I’m looking forward to making your Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew real soon and my husband was looking on with me and he wanted to know what kind of bread t that you are showing in your pictures he thought it look good.?
Paul A Jackson says
March 20, 2019 at 10:57 pmWould this work with lentils or pearl barley or similar
Debbie Brown says
April 24, 2019 at 9:28 amI made this yesterday. Cooked for 8 hours, stirred and it was perfect. Peas were soft and everything was blended well. I found that it did not have that good “pea” taste – I’m thinking the chicken stock took that away. Wondering if it would be better if you just used water like I do my regular split pea soup on the cook top. Other than that, it made a great meal.
Sarah Olson says
April 24, 2019 at 3:02 pmYou could do water, and add salt to taste at the end of the cooking time.