Grab a big spoon and cozy up to a warm bowl of split pea soup with tasty bits of ham. The recipe is easy to make, and it’s the perfect comfort food for those chilly days.

Table of Contents

1. What are split peas?
2. Saute the aromatics
3. Add the peas
4. Add the pork
5. Simmer the soup
6. Chop up the meat
7. Puree the soup
8. Serve this with
9. FAQ
10. Split Pea Soup Recipe

You may have rolled your cart straight past the dried split peas at the market, hidden in the bean aisle. Next time, put the brakes on and grab a bag of bright green legumes. They make an excellent creamy base for split pea soup. There is no soaking required, just add them straight to the pot and let them simmer.

I saute a trio of freshly chopped vegetables with bold herbs to make the soup base incredibly flavorful. I also use an entire pork hock cooked until the pieces fall off the bone to add a smoky taste. Breaking the meat down further adds a savory contrast to the smooth soup puree. Now, just make sure you have some warm crusty bread to dip.

What are split peas?

Split peas are tiny half-moon-shaped seeds of Pisum Sativum, a member of the legume family. They are high in protein and fiber, making for a nutritious addition to recipes. They are identical to round green peas that are often canned and frozen. However, they differ in their processing.

Split peas are dried, peeled, and cut in half, significantly extending their shelf life compared to fresh peas. They also come in two colors; green is sweeter, and yellow has an earthy flavor. When cooked, they have a creamy texture making them ideal for soups and stews like Indian dal.

Saute the aromatics

I like to use my heavy-bottomed dutch oven to make this soup. A mixture of yellow onions, celery, and carrots, also known as mirepoix, is added to flavor the soup base. The diced vegetables are sauteed in olive oil first. This process brings the natural sugars of the onions and carrots to the surface, adding a hint of sweetness to the soup. 

New flavors form when you see browning on the vegetables and start to smell a light caramel aroma. To enhance the taste, I use fresh chopped thyme and bay leaf to add lingering herbal notes. Cook them in hot oil to extract more fat-soluble flavors before adding the liquids. I add a generous amount of minced garlic to provide an earthy allium flavor as the cooking mellows the sulfurous compounds.

Add the peas

Another enticing reason to use green split peas- no need for soaking! Unlike beans with a hard coating that need time to hydrate before simmering, you can add split peas straight into the pot. Just make sure to sort and rinse any dirt accumulated from processing. 

Since the legume skins have already been removed and broken in half, the extra exposure helps them cook very quickly. It’s similar to making lentil soup. They are actually in the same family, although lentils are whole seeds still in their pods.

Add the pork

To add richness and a deep smoky flavor to the soup, I use a whole pork hock (also called ham hock). This cut of meat comes from the first joint of the leg, and it’s packed with flavor. Pork adds body to the soup from the conversion of collagen to gelatine as it simmers. You can buy hock raw or cured and smoked. Check the packaging to indicate if it’s fully cooked.

I use smoked pork hock for the recipe. Although already cured, it’s not quite soft enough yet for enjoying in the soup. It requires low and slow cooking to tenderize the meat and soften the connective tissues to fall off the bone. The longer you simmer the soup, the more time it allows the ingredient flavors to marry together. I recommend flipping the ham hock over halfway through cooking to ensure both sides contact the hot liquid.

Simmer the soup

Water and unsalted chicken stock or broth add more flavor to the soup. The key is to bring the liquid to a boil to get hot, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. This process allows the ingredients to cook and tenderize gently. It will take about 2 hours to cook the pork hock thoroughly. 

The moisture helps to convert the tough connective tissue loaded with collagen into gelatin. You know that it is ready when you can easily pull the meat off the bone. During this time, the starches in the peas hydrate, swell and expand in size. The legumes get so soft that they begin to disintegrate, naturally thickening the soup consistency.

Chop up the meat

Once the pork hock finishes cooking, remove the skin and separate the meat from the bone. You can chop it up into big chunks or more refined pieces, chef’s choice. The bits of meat add a nice burst of saltiness and texture to each spoonful. There should be about 1 cup of pork from a 1 ½ pound hock.

Puree the soup

If you like a rustic texture, you can keep the vegetable and peas as is. For a smoother consistency, use a handheld immersion blender to break down the ingredients. You can pulse it just a few times or process it until silky smooth.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, a potato masher or countertop blender works well too. Stir in the chopped pork and serve hot. I like to warm up a big crusty loaf of bread. My family loves dipping pieces into their bowls. 

Serve this with

FAQ