Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

Here is an easy slow cooker split pea soup with ham recipe that is so easy to make. Inexpensive slow cooker dinner when it’s cold outside and year round. Perfect leftover ham recipe too after the holidays.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham

Honestly I had never used dried beans for anything so this was really a new experience. Seemed to me that it would take lot of work and time to start from scratch like this. I couldn’t believe how well it turned out. After this I made all sorts of other creations with dried beans.

If you have a pressure cooker and want to make this FAST try our Instant Pot split pea soup. That takes about 17 minutes once it reaches pressure where this takes all day. What is nice about this one is you can throw it all in first thing in the morning and when you’re home you just lift the lid!

Let’s talk a little bit about slow cooking shall we?? First off I have a few different varieties and I love them all. Each one has an occasion to be used like….

1. This is my favorite 6 quart programmable one with a locking lid so it’s great for bringing to a potluck too.
2. I prefer not to use liners, but rather just spray olive oil inside before adding my food for easier cleanups.

Let me give you a peek of my pretty thang I bought recently. It goes with my kitchen so I can just leave it out on the countertop all the time. 😉

The dried peas I found in a barrel at our local organic market. I grabbed a few veggies in the produce section and that was literally all I needed. Most of the time I use leftover ham for something like this. Of course you could make it vegetarian too. I didn’t have a ham bone so I diced the ham I had left over, about 2.5 cups.

Split Pea Soup with Ham Bone in Slow cooker

During the year you can find smoked ham hocks really really cheap. They add a ton of flavor and throughout the day the meat on the outside will become really tender and just fall off. Then just scoop out the bones and discard those when you’re ready to eat. 😉

A third idea is you can grab a small pork shank, those are great too. Lay in the bottom and the same thing will happen. The meat will just peel off after all the hours soaking, and you won’t even need to add seasonings because the meat has enough.

This crockpot split pea soup recipe is not only good and healthy but really inexpensive to make too! Seriously I only think I spent about $6, since I already had the meat.

Use whatever type of meat you want or can find in the meat dept for next to nothing. Precooked and diced ham can be purchased near the bacon which is also a great choice too. You’d want to brown that until just before it gets really crispy. Add a bit for flavor at the beginning with more as a topping.

Can you make split pea soup with potatoes?

Want to make it even heartier with a tweak? You can add a bag of diced frozen hashbrowns or cut up some yourself. I would recommend red or russets in small bits like breakfast potatoes size. It will make this thicker and heartier for sure.

If you like it thick like you see in the picture at the top then just add 6 cups of vegetable broth or water. However, if you want a soupier consistency add 7 cups of water, like the picture at the bottom. Either way you make it, this is a hearty soup everyone loves.

Do split peas need to be soaked?

NO. I use them right out of the bag for our slow cooker and Instant Pot split pea recipe. Under high pressure or on low all day they soften nicely and create a smooth soup everyone loves.

Ingredients

1. Dry split peas right out of the bag, rinsed
2. Vegetable broth – can use water but broth is so much better
3. Carrots and celery are nice diced
4. Onions diced
5. Leftover ham is great to add or a ham hock
6. Salt and pepper to taste

I love buying half a ham throughout the year though because we can get at least a weeks worth of meals out of it like our loaded baked potato soup we cooked this year, which makes it really cheap! I’d use my 6 qt. crockpot with a locking lid which is great especially if you’re taking this to a potluck.

I have exact ingredients in the printable recipe card below but here are quick step by step directions: Slice carrots, celery and onions. The larger the pieces the more firm they will stay. If they’re sliced too thin they will disintegrate.

How to Cook Crockpot Split Pea Soup with Ham and Potatoes

1. Dump your uncooked split peas, broth, vegetables into your Crockpot. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Then add your ham hock to the center of the pot, or stir in already diced pieces.
   • if you want to add small bite size potatoes you would do so at this time, about 2 max.
2. Cover and cook soup on low heat for 8 hours cooking time until peas are tender. I do not recommend 4-6 hours on high as low and slow is the way to go for a perfect consistency.
3. If a ham bone is used, remove ham hock and use a knife to remove meat from outside. Dice and add into soup, discard bone.
4. Use ladle to serve in bowls. If you added bay leaves, remove and discard too.

How to save leftovers

If you do have leftovers it saves quite well. Always make sure it cools completely to room temperature before transferring it into a container. It will stay well for 3-4 days in the refrigerator until you’re ready to reheat it. Reheat leftover soup in a microwave safe bowl. It will have thickened up so adds some broth.

Stir it in until it thins out a bit and become the consistency you want. Heat for 45 seconds and then stir. Again add another 45 seconds or so and stir again. Do this until it is as warmed as you’d like. It is nice to add some shredded cheese and bacon bits to the top too when enjoying again.

Other easy soup recipes for dinner you’ll love

• Chicken soup in the Crockpot is always a win when you feel under the weather or it’s rainy outside.
• Instant Pot barley soup is wonderful with leftover ham bone as well.
• Leftover ham bean soup goes without saying is the perfect day after Easter meal. Comfort food at it’s finest.

I have a video showing you how easy this is to make (I used water in the video but found broth is so much better). Use broth to thin it out once it is done or when you reheat your leftovers the next day. Add all the fun toppings you like when serving it up to your family.