Creamy Split Pea Soup (Print view)

Creamy, comforting soup with split peas, vegetables, and optional smoky ham. Ready in under 2 hours.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 2 cups dried split green peas, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced

→ Aromatics & Liquids

07 - 1 bay leaf
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 6 cups vegetable broth
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Optional

11 - 1 cup diced smoked ham or 1 ham bone

→ Seasonings

12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - Salt to taste

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery; sauté for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add rinsed split peas, diced potato, bay leaf, thyme, and vegetable broth to the pot. If using ham, add diced smoked ham or ham bone at this stage.
04 - Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until split peas are tender and soup thickens.
05 - Remove ham bone if used and bay leaf from the pot. If using diced ham, stir it back into the soup.
06 - For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to puree part of the soup, or blend half in a blender and return to the pot.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

# Expert Ideas:

01 -
  • It's naturally thick and satisfying without feeling heavy, making it the kind of soup that sticks with you through a cold afternoon.
  • One pot means minimal cleanup, which honestly matters when you're craving comfort food but not the aftermath of cooking.
  • The recipe flexes easily—vegan, vegetarian, or traditional—so it welcomes whoever's showing up to dinner.
02 -
  • Split peas break down significantly, so resist the urge to break them open with a spoon before cooking—let time and heat do the work, and you'll get creaminess instead of mush.
  • This soup thickens dramatically as it cools, so what seemed like the perfect consistency at dinner might look like porridge by the next day; thinning with water or broth during reheating is completely normal and necessary.
03 -
  • Never skip the rinsing step for split peas—it prevents that dusty, grainy mouthfeel that can sneak in otherwise.
  • If your soup breaks at any point or looks separated, blending it smooth usually fixes everything; that's the beauty of this dish's forgiving nature.
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