Creamy Split Pea Soup (Printable Version)

Rich, warming bowl of creamy split pea soup loaded with vegetables and smoky flavors. Ready in 90 minutes.

# What You'll Need:

→ Legumes

01 - 2 cups dried split green peas, rinsed

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 large onion, diced
03 - 2 carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 celery stalks, diced
05 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
06 - 1 medium potato, peeled and diced

→ Aromatics and Liquids

07 - 1 bay leaf
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 6 cups vegetable broth
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Optional

11 - 1 cup diced smoked ham or 1 ham bone

→ Seasonings

12 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
13 - Salt to taste

# Method:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook for 5 minutes until softened.
02 - Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Add split peas, diced potato, bay leaf, thyme, and vegetable broth. Add ham or ham bone if using.
04 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until peas are soft and soup thickens.
05 - Remove ham bone and bay leaf. Stir diced ham back into soup if using.
06 - For creamier consistency, use an immersion blender to puree part of the soup, or blend half in a blender and return to the pot.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms humble dried peas into something so velvety and satisfying that people won't believe it took less than two hours.
  • The kitchen fills with such a warm, welcoming smell that your family will gather in there without being asked.
  • Once you nail this, you'll have an automatic go-to meal for busy weeks and unexpected guests.
02 -
  • Don't skip the sautéing step for your aromatics—this is where the real flavor happens, and rushing it makes the whole soup taste thin and one-dimensional.
  • The soup thickens considerably as it sits, sometimes so much that you'll wonder if you made it wrong—this is normal, and a splash of broth when reheating fixes it instantly.
03 -
  • If your broth is on the salty side, add a peeled potato while the soup cooks—it absorbs excess salt, then you can remove it before serving.
  • For a richer, deeper flavor, save ham bones from other meals and freeze them specifically for soups like this one.
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