Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew
46 Comments Dec 19, 2016
Updated Jun 25, 2025
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Classic creamy split pea soup with chunks of hearty vegetables and ham. If you are a split pea lover you must try this recipe.
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.
Split Pea Stew Ingredients
Dry split peas that break down into a thick, hearty base
A mix of ham and veggies for flavor and texture
Chicken broth and thyme to bring everything together
Optional ham bone adds extra richness while it simmers
Cook’s Notes
The ham bone is optional, but it adds tons of extra flavor if you have one on hand. (I use the ham bone from my leftover apple and clove ham)
Cut the potatoes and veggies into large chunks so they hold up during the long cook time.
Once the split peas are cooked and stirred, the stew thickens naturally—no blending is needed.
My Serving Suggestions
Serve immediately, if the soup thickens too much before you can eat, add more broth or hot water.
Top the soup with crackers (oyster or saltine). Fresh ground pepper and a touch of sour cream if desired.
Add a side of cornbread or garlic bread.
Featured Comment
“Delicious! I made this last night and my home smelled great. I’ll be enjoying soup all week.”
– Susan
Slow Cooker Split Pea Stew
How to Video
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 ribs, sliced large
- 1 tsp. dried leaf thyme
- 1/4 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!
Sarah’s Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
See my other slow cooker soup recipes here:
Slow Cooker Lentil Soup and Ham and Potato Soup are both comforting, easy options with plenty of flavor.
Beef Barley Soup is a hearty, old-school favorite that never disappoints.
Potato Cheese Soup and Tuscan Chicken Soup are rich, cozy picks that feel like comfort in a bowl.
Cauliflower Soup, Slow Cooker Chicken Stew, and Crockpot Beef Stew round out the list with warm, satisfying goodness.
Made this yesterday, so good! I veganized it by using vegetable broth and omitting the ham. I used green onion as that’s what I had on hand, and also added a few cloves of garlic. It just started snowing here yesterday and this really warmed me up! Thanks for a great recipe, so simple and delicious. Will def. be making again 😀
Wondering if the recipe could be cut in half? If so how long would I cook for? If not does it freeze well? I’m just cooking for one and want to make this my lunch for the week, so don’t need 10 servings. Thanks!
Hi Katy, if it was me I would put half of the ingredients in the crock pot and half in a ziplock bag (before cooking). Freeze the other half and cook another day. I’ve done that before works great with split pea soup. I think you’ll enjoy it better this way instead of freezing after cooking.
Awesome! Thanks for the tip
I 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.
You could do water, and add salt to taste at the end of the cooking time.
Would this work with lentils or pearl barley or similar
Hi 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.?
My 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.
Thankyou so much for the tips!
If 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
thanks for the tips. I’ve never thought of that! I wonder if beans are the same.
if 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.
Oh 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!
In some parts of the Island we call the dumplings “doughboys”. That’s what I grew up calling them. 🙂
Hi 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
probably about 6 hours on high.
Hi, what colour are the peas ? We have 2 here in UK
Green. We have two here, but rarely use the orange kind.
I made this soup and the peas are not softening. I have now cooked it for over 9 hours. Any ides?
Did 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.
Soak peas in water overnight then drain to get rid of water, before putting peas in slow cooker.
You can soak the peas overnight. I do this also with white beans for bean & ham soup
I made this dish tonight and had the same issue of peas not softening. Bought them in a 1 lb bag. Guess I’ll try soaking them overnight next time. It has a great flavor, though!