Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

Split pea soup is the reason leftover ham bones exist. Dried split peas, a smoky ham bone and a slow cooker full of ordinary vegetables turn, over a long lazy afternoon, into a soup so thick and savory it eats like a meal — no cream, no fuss, and about fifteen minutes of actual work from you at the start.

It is a natural citizen of our Slow Cooker & Casseroles collection, written on the same principle as our Slow Cooker Creamy Potato Soup: load the pot in the morning, let low heat do the patient work, and come home to something that tastes like it simmered all day — because it did.

Dried split peas are the easiest legume in the pantry: unlike beans, they need no soaking at all, and they dissolve as they cook, thickening the soup from the inside. All you owe them is a good rinse and a quick pick-over for the occasional stone or stray grain, which takes two minutes at the sink.

The ham bone is the seasoning

A meaty ham bone gives this soup its smoke, its salt and its body all at once, which is why the recipe adds salt only at the end — bones vary, and an over-salted soup cannot be unsalted. No bone? Use two smoked ham hocks, or skip ahead: 2 cups (300 g) of diced ham plus a teaspoon of smoked paprika gets you most of the way there. Save holiday ham bones in the freezer for exactly this soup; they keep for months and cost nothing.

Thick soup, thin soup — you decide at the end

Split pea soup thickens dramatically as it cools, so judge the texture hot, straight from the cooker, and know it will set up further in the bowl. For a thinner soup, stir in extra broth a ladle at a time at the end. For an extra-thick, stew-like bowl, cook with the lid ajar for the last hour, or mash a ladleful of peas against the side of the pot and stir them back in.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried green split peas (454 g), rinsed and picked over
• 1 meaty ham bone (about 1 lb / 454 g)
• 2 cups diced cooked ham (300 g)
• 1 large yellow onion (200 g), diced
• 3 medium carrots (240 g), diced
• 3 celery stalks (180 g), diced
• 3 cloves garlic (15 g), minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1.65 L)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), or to taste

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Rinse the peas. Tip the split peas into a colander and rinse under cold water, picking out any stones or discolored peas. No soaking is needed — split peas cook through completely in the slow cooker.
2. Load the slow cooker. Add the peas, ham bone, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and black pepper to a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker. Pour the broth over everything and stir once to settle the peas below the liquid line.
3. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the peas have completely softened and broken down and the soup is thick and unified. Avoid lifting the lid during the first few hours — the cooker needs its heat.
4. Shred the ham. Lift out the ham bone and bay leaves. Pull every bit of meat from the bone, shred it into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot along with the diced ham. Discard the bone and bay leaves.
5. Adjust and season. Stir well and simmer on LOW for 15 minutes more so the added ham warms through. Thin with a little extra broth or water if the soup is thicker than you like, then season with the salt — tasting first, because the ham may have seasoned it plenty already.
6. Serve it up. Ladle into warm bowls. A swirl of sour cream, a few croutons or a side of crusty bread are all welcome. The soup will keep thickening as it stands, and that is a promise, not a warning.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

Split pea soup keeps for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it thickens as it sits — stir in a splash of water or broth when reheating on the stove over medium heat. It freezes exceptionally well for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 19 October 2026

Thick, smoky, 15 minutes of prep — the ham bone does the work.

Yield: 8 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep15 minutes

Cook7 hours

Total7 hours 15 minutes

Servings8 servings

Calories310 kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 lb dried green split peas (454 g), rinsed and picked over
• 1 meaty ham bone (about 1 lb / 454 g)
• 2 cups diced cooked ham (300 g)
• 1 large yellow onion (200 g), diced
• 3 medium carrots (240 g), diced
• 3 celery stalks (180 g), diced
• 3 cloves garlic (15 g), minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (1 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (1.5 g)
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1.65 L)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g), or to taste

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Rinse the peas. Tip the split peas into a colander and rinse under cold water, picking out any stones or discolored peas. No soaking is needed — split peas cook through completely in the slow cooker.
2. Load the slow cooker. Add the peas, ham bone, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and black pepper to a 6-quart (5.7 L) slow cooker. Pour the broth over everything and stir once to settle the peas below the liquid line.
3. Cook low and slow. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, until the peas have completely softened and broken down and the soup is thick and unified. Avoid lifting the lid during the first few hours — the cooker needs its heat.
4. Shred the ham. Lift out the ham bone and bay leaves. Pull every bit of meat from the bone, shred it into bite-size pieces and return it to the pot along with the diced ham. Discard the bone and bay leaves.
5. Adjust and season. Stir well and simmer on LOW for 15 minutes more so the added ham warms through. Thin with a little extra broth or water if the soup is thicker than you like, then season with the salt — tasting first, because the ham may have seasoned it plenty already.
6. Serve it up. Ladle into warm bowls. A swirl of sour cream, a few croutons or a side of crusty bread are all welcome. The soup will keep thickening as it stands, and that is a promise, not a warning.

Calories: 310 kcalProtein: 24 gCarbohydrates: 38 gFat: 7 gSaturated fat: 2 gSodium: 790 mgFiber: 15 gSugar: 6 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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