Our Best Split Pea Soup Recipe
Warming and hearty, this split pea soup recipe is a real winter keeper. It takes the chill off even the coldest of days, in the rib-sticking way that only a soup that’s loaded with bacon and ham possibly could. It makes wonderful leftovers—the flavors of the ham get better and more pervasive after a day or two—and you can freeze it, too! If you’re not going to finish leftovers within a week, you can store the soup in airtight containers in the freezer for up to three months. To thaw, move it to the refrigerator the day before you plan to eat it, or warm it from frozen on the stove top over low heat.
Is Split Pea Soup Healthy?
While it’s maybe not totally accurate to call something that includes both ham and bacon flat-out “healthy,” in terms of general nutrition, split pea soup has a lot to offer! Split peas have been in use for millenia. They appear in the ancient cuisines of Egypt, Greece, China and Rome. It’s easy to understand why they’ve been beloved by humans for so long—they’re small, they last forever, and they’re quite nutrient-dense. They are loaded with fiber and protein, so although this is not a vegetarian soup, it’s not incredibly meat-heavy and it’s nonetheless a terrific source of protein. Split peas are a good source of B vitamins, and iron, too.
Split Decision: Split Pea Soup With Ham or Split Pea Soup With Bacon?
Now, some people are die-hard old-schoolers on this and will only make green split pea soup with a ham hock. Others are devoted bacon lovers and want their pea soup loaded with smoky bacon. We say why choose?! Instead of a ham hock or ham bone, though, we’ve simplified things a bit and used regular old deli ham, sliced thickly. So, this split pea soup with ham and bacon gets plenty of smoky flavor from both:
Applewood smoked bacon. Bacon smoked with applewood is mild, with a pleasant sweetness.
Thick-cut smoked ham slices. These can be cut from the bone if you have a leftover ham, or purchased from the deli counter. Just be sure to ask the person behind the counter to slice the ham 1/4-inch thick.
Seasonings for Split Pea Soup
Somewhere along the way, someone decided that split pea soup goes from good to fantastic if you season it with smoky things (like the aforementioned ham hock) and who are we to mess with perfection? The bacon and ham will add a lot of salty goodness and smoky flavor to the pea soup, but we up the ante even more with additional spices and seasonings. In addition to the usual suspects like salt and pepper, our pea soup recipe gets flavor in spades from:
Mirepoix! AKA carrots, celery and onion, sautéed in bacon fat (yep, why waste that liquid gold when you could cook with it instead?). The classic flavor-giving base of every great soup, including this one.
Thyme. Fresh or dried are both fine. This earthy herb is a really classic pair for split pea soup, and you’ll taste why.
Smoked paprika. Sometimes called pimentón or smoked Spanish paprika, we’re so into this brick red, deeply flavorful spice. It adds so much to a dish, and here it really amplifies the smoky flavors of the ham and bacon.
Parmesan cheese. This is completely optional, but we’re very much of the opinion that a dusting of fresh Parmesan is the perfect compliment to any and all things, including this split pea soup.
How Do You Make Split Pea Soup From Scratch?
Crisp the bacon in the pot you’ll make the soup in. When the bacon is cooked, take it out, but leave some of the fat that rendered out.
Cook the onion, celery and carrots in the bacon drippings and, after a few minutes, add the garlic.
Pour in the chicken broth, split peas, thyme and smoked paprika and bring it to a boil.
Simmer for about 45 minutes, or until the peas are very, very soft and have almost melted into a singular sort of mush—the best kind of soupy mush.
If you’d like, you can use an immersion blender to blend about 1/3 of the soup and make it extra, extra smooth, but it’s also delicious as-is.
Stir the ham and bacon to the finished split pea soup. Season to taste and dig in!
Split Pea Soup And More
Every soup night is better with soup, no? Whether it’s a big hunk of crusty Sourdough Bread for dipping or flavorful slice of Garlic Bread, bread is always the answer. If you’re looking for more of a soup-and-sandwich kind of meal, we think that our Perfect Grilled Cheese would be good as would a rich and creamy Croque Monsieur or an eggy Croque Madame. If you’re going all in on coziness, a plate of Homemade French Fries with a side of Fry Sauce is the way to go. A serving of veggies never hurt anyone, and a simple and fresh bowl of Steamed Broccoli or Roasted Carrots would be a great accompaniment. If little extra protein is what you’re craving, a simple Perfect Poached Chicken on the side will hit the spot.
A Split Pea Soup to Warm You Through and Through
Did anyone else read Owl at Home as a kid? Where poor old Owl invites winter to come in for a visit and a blizzard takes over his living room, rendering his warm bowl of split pea soup frozen solid? It’s pretty heartbreaking. But this soup will break no hearts—instead, it’ll warm winter-chilled bodies from the inside out! If you make it, let us know how you like it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
