Description
This Classic Split Pea Soup is a comforting and hearty dish made with tender split peas, savory ham bone, and fresh vegetables. Perfect for a cozy meal, it delivers rich flavors with simple ingredients and takes about 1 hour 35 minutes to prepare and cook.
Ingredients
Units
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Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 3 ribs of celery, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound dried split peas, rinsed
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 to 4 cups water
- 1 cup diced ham (from ham bone or added separately)
Garnish
- finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic: Add the minced garlic to the pot and sauté for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add peas and seasonings: Stir in the rinsed split peas, dried thyme, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper until combined.
- Add liquids and ham bone: Add the bay leaf, ham bone, low-sodium chicken broth, and 3 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 50 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas have broken down and the soup has thickened.
- Remove ham and dice: Using tongs, remove the ham bone to a cutting board. Dice the remaining meat from the bone, approximately 1 cup, then return it to the soup.
- Simmer uncovered: Stir the soup and simmer uncovered for another 5 to 15 minutes, until it reaches your desired thickness. Add additional water if the soup is too thick, keeping in mind it will thicken more as it sits.
- Serve: Discard the bay leaf, ladle soup into bowls, garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and an extra sprinkle of black pepper, and enjoy.
Notes
- You do not need to pre-soak the split peas for this recipe.
- If you use regular chicken broth instead of low-sodium, reduce the added salt to prevent the soup from being too salty.
- The soup continues to thicken as it cools, so adjust the liquid consistency while still simmering.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ham bone and ham and substitute vegetable broth.
- The serving size is based on using 4 cups of water.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 18 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
