Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup (Slow-Cooker)

Published: Jun 6, 2019 · Modified: May 17, 2023 · by Renée B. · This post may contain affiliate links.

You just can't beat a bowl of thick, savory Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup on a cold day. Comforting and hearty, this virtually bulletproof slow-cooker recipe is an easy, economical way to repurposed leftover ham and ham bones, too.

Split pea soup in a blue pottery bowl, sitting on a weather pice of metal. Ornate spoon to the side.

Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup has been one of my favorites since I was a child, when my mom used to make it for us during the week following every "ham holiday" (i.e., Easter, Christmas, etc.).

We make this slow cooker split pea soup with ham four or five times a year, every year. I won't call it completely fool-proof, because there is always that one cook... However, barring anyone who substitutes Skittles for split peas, it's about as close to fool-proof a recipe as you're ever going to find.

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Split Pea Soup Ingredients
How to Make Ham Bone Split Pea Soup
Equipment
Storage
Top Tip
FAQ
More Cozy Soup Recipes
What to Serve with Split Pea Soup
Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup Ingredients

This split pea soup with ham bone recipe is an easy, economical way to repurposed leftover ham and ham bones. If you want to make soup and don't want to eat a whole ham to do it, you can often buy ham bones at your butcher's counter, or at Honey Baked Ham. (Honey Baked ham bones are my absolute favorite for making split pea soup!)

Green split peas: Use fresh split peas. Old dried peas may not soften properly in the slow cooker.
Meaty ham bone: It is important to use a meaty ham bone. The connective tissues and marrow from the bone are what break down into the collagen that helps thicken the soup.
Onion: Use sweet onions. Yellow onions will also work. Peel and dice the onion into roughly ¼-inch cubes.
Honey: You can also use maple syrup or agave.
Celery: Peel and dice the celery into roughly ¼-inch cubes.
Carrots: Peel and dice the carrots into roughly ¼-inch cubes; the same size as the onion and celery.
Hot sauce: We use a mild hot sauce to give the soup just a little kick, but this is totally optional.
Oregano: Use dried or fresh oregano.
Salt: We use kosher salt.
Pepper: We usually use freshly ground pepper, but I have made this soup with white pepper on occasion, and really like that too.
Water: The water you use matters. Be aware, if your water is treated and has an overpowering taste because of it (i.e, municipally added chlorine, chloramine, etc.), that flavor may taint your soup.

How to Make Ham Bone Split Pea Soup

If you follow the directions and use the ingredients as directed, this recipe is virtually fool-proof.

Rinse the peas and combine them with the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker. Give everything a quick stir, and then set slow cooker to HIGH and cook 4-6 hours.
If possible, stir it about halfway through.

After cooking for 5-6 hours, the meat on the ham-bone should be falling apart. Reduce the slow cooker to LOW. If your soup seems too thick, add a little more water at this time.

Using tongs or an extra-large serving spoon, carefully remove ham bone to a plate to cool. When the ham bone is cool enough to handle, remove any ham and return the meat to the soup.

Meat stripped from ham bone. Meat in bowl, bone on a separate plate.

Discard the ham bone. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Slow cooker full of split pea soup, with ham scattered on the top, ready to be stirred in.

You can serve this old fashioned pean and ham soup immediately; however, we strongly recommend serving it the next day.

If you serve split pea soup straight out of the slow cooker, it will be tasty but very thin, with the consistency of thin gruel. This is a normal and expected part of the process.

DO NOT attempt to thicken this soup with cornstarch, flour, potato flakes, or anything else!

Turn the slow cooker off and allow the soup to cool for 2 hours. Stir the soup once and then cover and put it into the refrigerator and leave it overnight.

In that time, the soup will transform; thickening and melding into a hearty, deliciously satisfying split pea soup. This is basic kitchen science: it takes time for the starches from the dried peas and the collagen from the ham bone to form the connective mesh that thickens the soup.

When you are ready to serve, simply reheat the soup in a large stockpot, or use the Warm setting on your slow cooker to slowly bring it back up to temperature.

Equipment

I've made this easy split pea soup recipe in a slow cooker for decades! It fits perfectly in our big 6-quart slow cooker, but it will fit in a 5-quart crockpot, too. (You can also use the slow-cooker mode on your InstantPot.)

If you don't yet have a slow cooker and are looking to buy one, here are a few points to consider:

Size: Slow cookers must be filled at least halfway to cook effectively. Most slow-cooker recipes are developed for use with a five- or six-quart unit. If you consistently cook for a crowd, there are bigger slow cookers, too.

Shape: I've used both round and oval cookers countless times, and I have to say I much prefer the oval shape. It works better when cooking larger, whole ingredients, like chicken, pot-roast, or ribs, and it works better for me aesthetically as well.

Locking Lid: Some years ago, I was taking a huge pot of chili to a potluck, and dropped the crockpot on the driveway. The crock exploded, and chili was everywhere. (Yes, like Kevin in The Office. Exactly.) You may not need a locking lid often, but when you do, it can be a lifesaver.

Fully removable crock: I've seen a few slow cooker models that have the heating element fused into the crock. This (IMO) is insanity. You want the crock to slide smoothly from the base so that it can be easily cleaned.

Storage

Split pea soup will stay good for 3 days or more in the refrigerator. To refrigerate, cool soup to 70°F within two hours, and then down to 41°F (fridge temp) or below within the next four hours.

Split pea soup also freezes very well! First, allow the soup to cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers. Split Pea soup can be frozen for up to four months.

To reheat, thaw in the refrigerator, and warm on the stove or in the microwave.

Top Tip

The type of ham bone you use will determine the underlying flavor profile of your soup. If you use a honey or glazed ham bone, your soup will be slightly sweeter. If you use a smoked ham bone (or ham hock), your soup will taste more smokey.

Personally, we prefer our split pea soup on the sweet side (Honey Baked Ham bones are our absolute favorite!) but it really is just a matter of personal preference.

FAQ

Does split pea soup thicken as it cools?

Split pea soup is always much thicker the next day: the consistency transforms from porridge-thin to chowder-thick overnight. This is because it takes time for the starches from the dried peas and the collagen (i.e., gelatin) from the ham bone to form the connective mesh that thickens the soup.

Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?

When making slow cooker split pea soup, the peas do not need to be soaked.

Overhead shot of split pea soup in bowl, cropped horizontally across the middle of the bowl.

More Cozy Soup Recipes

Soup is one of our specialties! Some of our favorite heirloom soup recipes include Beef Barley Vegetable Soup, Cabbage Roll Soup, Hungarian Mushroom Soup, and Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup.

See more Soup & Stew →

What to Serve with Split Pea Soup

Cornbread is the traditional favorite for split pea soup with ham. Try our Sweet Skillet Corn Bread recipe, made with pan-fried corn. When we make cornbread and split pea soup together, we like to make extra pan-fried corn to sprinkle on top of our soup.

Homemade biscuits or a slice of fresh bread also delicious with this soup; or, if you want to lighten things up a bit, serve a fresh fruit salad on the side.

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5 from 10 votes

Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup

Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup is always dependably hearty, comforting, and easy on the budget. Oh, and it's delicious, too!

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:6

Optional Overnight:1

Total Time:1 6 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 194kcal

Author: Renee

Equipment

Slow Cooker

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

1 pound green split peas about 2 ¼ cups
1 whole meaty ham bone
1½ cups chopped onion about one large onion
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1½ - 2 tablespoons honey (or agave; or brown sugar)
1 cup diced celery 2-3 stalks
1 cup diced carrots 2 large or 3 medium carrots
1 dash hot sauce optional
6 cups water up to eight cups for thinner soup

Instructions

Rinse peas, and combine with remaining ingredients in slow cooker.
Give everything a quick stir, and then set slow cooker to HIGH and cook 5-6 hours.
If possible, stir it about halfway through.
After cooking for 5-6 hours, the meat on the ham-bone should be falling apart.
Reduce the slow cooker to LOW.
If your soup seems too thick, add more water at this time.
Using tongs or an extra-large serving spoon, carefully remove ham bone to a plate to cool.
When the ham bone is cool enough to handle, remove any ham and return the meat to the soup.
Discard the ham bone.
Adjust seasonings to taste.
You can serve this soup immediately; however, we strongly recommend serving it the next day.
If you serve split pea soup straight out of the slow cooker, it will be tasty but very thin, with the consistency of thin gruel. This is a normal and expected part of the process.
DO NOT attempt to thicken this soup with cornstarch, flour, potato flakes, or anything else!
To serve the next day:
Turn the slow cooker off and allow the soup to cool for 2 hours. Stir once and then put the soup into the refrigerator and leave it overnight. In that time, the soup will transform; thickening and melding into a hearty, deliciously satisfying split pea soup.
When you are ready to serve, simply reheat the soup in a large stockpot, or use the Warm setting on your slow cooker to slowly bring it back up to temperature.

Notes

Nutrition

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.

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About Renée B.

Renée is self-taught home chef with a penchant for creating healthy(ish) comfort food recipes, and adapting vintage recipes for the 21st century cook. In her spare time, she writes unfinished novels and songs about cowboys.