Tag: Recipe

This split pea soup recipe is outrageously delicious and comforting. Made with simple ingredients and a rich broth, it turns out thick, creamy, and flavorful!

I love hearty soup recipes, and this split pea soup definitely hits the mark! We use dried split peas as the base, and slowly simmer them with aromatic veggies, broth, and thyme until perfectly tender. Then, we blend the soup until smooth for an extra creamy texture. It’s hearty, flavorful, and unbelievably delicious.

The ham adds a lovely smoky flavor, but if you’d prefer to make this without it, you can (and it will still be delightful).

Key Ingredients

• Split Peas: Split peas are dried peas that have been split in half, which helps them cook faster. They have an earthy and slightly sweet flavor. There are two main types: green and yellow. For this soup, we’re using green split peas because they have a slightly sweeter taste and hold their shape better during cooking, resulting in a heartier texture.
• Ham: I use boneless ham steak and usually find it sold by the pound (or close) in 1/2-inch slices. Bone-in ham is excellent, too. You can add the ham bone to the soup as it simmers for even more flavor. We’ll briefly cook the ham in the pot, remove it, and pulse it in a blender until it is shredded. This seems unusual, but it creates the perfect texture for the soup! We’ll save the shredded ham for serving.
• Aromatics: We’re keeping it classic with a mixture of onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to create a flavorful base.
• Herbs: I love the combination of bay leaves and fresh thyme. I usually take 6 or so thyme stalks and tie them with some twine for easy removal later.
• Broth: Use what you love! That’s chicken stock for me, but veggie broth works perfectly well, too.
• Wine: A dry white wine adds a bit of complexity to the soup. Use something you already enjoy drinking. I often go for something simple like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or unoaked Chardonnay. You can also use a dry sherry.
• Dijon Mustard and Parsley: This is our secret! To add a lovely pop of flavor and color right at the end, we’ll blend in a couple of teaspoons of Dijon mustard and half of a bunch of fresh parsley. It livens everything up and really makes the soup taste incredible.
• Toppings (Optional): When serving this soup, we’ll blend it until smooth and creamy, then top it with the shredded ham, a dollop of sour cream, and some sliced green onion.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Split Pea Soup

Tip 1: Build flavors. The trick to this soup is gradually building flavors in your soup pot. So, if you’re adding it, start with the ham and cook it until browned. Remove it, then add your onion, carrot, celery, and garlic. As they cook, they will pick up the flavor from the ham. Finally, finish with the thyme and broth.

Tip 2: Simmering the split peas. Dried split peas take a bit to become tender, so expect this soup to simmer for about 1 hour.

Tip 3: Blend the ham. Yep, you read that right! It feels odd to blend ham, but trust me. The ham breaks down into the perfect texture for adding to our serving bowls. See what I mean in our photos.

Tip 4: Serving it. When serving this split pea soup, we place a generous spoonful of ham into the bottom of a bowl and then pour the soup over it. Garnish with more ham, sour cream, and sliced green onions, and enjoy! It would also be amazing with a slice of homemade focaccia or this easy flatbread for dunking!

More Cozy Soup Recipes