Split pea soup with ham made with dried peas is the perfect snow day lunch. Dried peas give the vibe of being high-maintenance; yet, they’re really pretty easy going. You know, easy pea-sy. I like to cook pea soup for about an hour so it gets that creamy, green broth: but, you can cook from start to finish in just a half-hour, too.
Sometimes opinions regarding pea soup can be split. But, if you enjoy it, you might as well know how to make your own at home.
Split Pea Soup With Ham
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1-2 fresh carrots, grated or diced
- 8-16 ounces Black Forest ham (no honey), diced (leave out for vegan or vegetarian option), pork shank, or 2 ham hocks
- 8 cups (or 64 ounces) vegetable broth or water
- 1 pound dried split peas
- 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Ham Base
(leave out for vegan or vegetarian option)
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- About 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1-2 teaspoons coarse ground pepper
Drizzle olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and carrots. Cook until the onions are translucent.
Stir in the broth, dried split peas, Better Than Boullion, and garlic powder. Turn the heat to high until everything comes to a boil then turn down to a medium-low simmer. Cover with a lid while leaving a little space for steam to escape. Allow the peas to cook for an hour to hour and a half or until the soup has a thick, creamy green soup broth.
Note: If using ham hocks, remove them before serving. If using pork shank, remove them when your soup is done cooking, let them cool, then remove any ham from them and add the ham to your soup.
See? Easy as can pea!