Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Here is an easy slow cooker split pea soup with ham recipe we make every month for dinner. It is an inexpensive meal with no soaking required. When it’s cold outside it is the perfect leftover ham recipe to make after the holidays too.

Once again I was looking for another meal to make with my leftovers. I hadn’t tried making soup from scratch before but figured it couldn’t be that hard. It came out amazing and is now included in our long list of favorite and easy crockpot recipes.

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.

During the year this is a great way of how to cook ham hocks. You can find them smoked at the grocery store really really cheap. They add a ton of flavor cooked together throughout the day. The meat on the outside will become so tender that it will just fall off. Then you just scoop out the bones and discard those when you’re ready to eat and serve. 😉

Another 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.

Ingredient Notes

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.

You will need a liquid to cook everything in to get tender. Typically I will use Vegetable broth for this. You can use water but broth is so much better to add lots of flavor of course.

Salt and pepper to taste is used. I will sprinkle some in before cooking since it will be rather bland if you add nothing but the broth does have some sodium so have a light hand. Bay leaves are optional (but a must for some).

Now let’s talk about vegetables that work well in this meal. Carrots and celery are nice diced with some yellow or white Onions in there too. All super inexpensive and can be found year round, bonus.

Can you cook ham hocks in split pea soup?

Yes if I don’t have leftovers or a diced ham steak I will throw in a few ham hocks to add meat and a wonderful smoky flavor. It is best added at the very beginning to get super tender and lend more flavor and some salt to the dish.

Can you add 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.

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 soup recipe too. What is nice about this version though is you can throw it all in first thing in the morning and when you’re home you just lift the lid!

How Long to Cook Split Pea Soup in Slow Cooker

You are going to want about 8 hours to cook this to get it to the right consistency, smooth, with the peas broken down nicely. Keep in mind that the other vegetables you may have added will get softer so keep them on the larger side.

How do you know when split pea soup is done?

It is all about the texture. If you look and there are still peas in tact in small balls then it needs more time. When done those will break down and you won’t see them at all, rather the soup will look smooth and taste as such too.

How to Thicken Split Pea Soup

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.

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 Crockpot 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.

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.