Yellow Split Pea Recipe

Bowl of pea soup with ham with vegetable garnish.

5 from 5 votes

This yellow split pea recipe is somewhere between a soup and a stew. It is hearty, meaty and can be made on the stovetop, slow cooker or instant pot.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 6 hours

Total Time 6 hours 15 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 107kcal

Author Beth Neels

Cost $3

Equipment

Ingredients

1 meaty ham bone see notes for substitutions
2 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 lb dried yellow peas
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
1 cup diced ham optional, see notes

Instructions

For slow cooker

Rinse and sort peas carefully. Check for small pebbles or other foreign items from the fields.
1 lb dried yellow peas
Brown the ham bone in a heavy bottom pan over medium high for a few minutes. Add to crockpot.
1 meaty ham bone, 2 teaspoon Olive Oil
Reduce heat to medium. In the same pan, saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, continue to saute for a minute ore two.
1 onion, diced, 2 carrots, diced, 2 cloves garlic, 2 stalks celery, diced
Add vegetables to slow cooker.
Add peas and stock. If stock doesn't cover the food, add enough water to cover. Add herbs and spices.
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 tablespoons fresh parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
Slow cook on low for 6-8 hours, until thick and peas are soft. If your bone isn't meaty enough, add diced ham the last hour just to heat through. Remove ham bone and discard.
Remove the bone from the soup and cut any meat left on the bone into bite sized pieces. Add to soup.
Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.
Season with salt and pepper to taste after soup is done. Depending on how salty your ham is, you may not need to add any salt.

For stovetop

Use a Dutch oven to do the same thing as you would do in the slow cooker. (First 5 instruction lines.
Cook on low heat for 1-2 hours until peas and vegetables are soft. If your bone isn't meaty enough, add diced ham the last hour just to heat through. Remove ham bone and discard.
Remove the bone from the soup and cut any meat left on the bone into bite sized pieces. Add to soup.
Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.
Season with salt and pepper to taste after soup is done. Depending on how salty your ham is, you may not need to add any salt.

For instant pot

See important notes below.
Rinse and sort peas carefully. Check for small pebbles or other foreign items from the fields.
Brown ham with your pressure cooker on saute mode. Remove bone and add vegetables. Add a splash of oil if needed.
Scrape the bottom of the instant pot well to avoid a burn notice. Add peas, liquid and herbs and spices.
Attach lid. Set vent to sealing. Set to Pressure cook mode high. Set timer for 15 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the bone from the soup and cut any meat left on the bone into bite sized pieces. Add to soup.
1 cup diced ham
Season with salt and pepper to taste after soup is done. Depending on how salty your ham is, you may not need to add any salt.
Remove bay leaf and thyme sprig.

Video

Notes

If you don't have a ham bone, you can substitute ham hocks or diced ham for that smoky flavor. Use a ham steak, or ask your butcher or deli to cut you a 1" thick slice of ham.

Add salt to taste at the end of the cooking process, when soup is done. If you use salty stock or have a salty ham, you may not need to add any salt.

Only use smoked, cooked ham for this recipe. Do not use a fresh ham.

For vegan and vegetarian, omit ham and add a half teaspoon of liquid smoke for a nice smoky flavor.

Can cook in slow cooker on high three to four hours, but stir it occasionally so that it doesn't stick.

For Instant pot, you will need a small ham bone if using the bone. The bone should fit nicely into you pot. If your bone is too big, cook it on the stovetop or slow cooker.

Refrigerate leftovers about a week.

For longer storage, freeze in air tight containers for up to six months. Soup freezes well.

Recipe can be doubled. You don't need to have two ham bones, just use one. Add additional diced ham if it is not meaty enough.

Nutrition