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4.9 from 33 votes

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Slow cooker split pea soup with ham is traditional winter comfort food made easy. Just toss everything in a Crock pot and walk away. You're welcome.

Prep Time
50 mins
Cook Time
10 hrs
Total Time
10 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 8 to 12 servings
Calories: 198 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 cups green split peas rinsed and picked over
  • One (1 1/2-pound) smoked ham hock
  • 2 small onions finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots diced
  • 2 medium celery stalks diced
  • 2 to 4 small garlic cloves thinly sliced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Lots of freshly ground pepper
  • 8 cups cold water
  • Leaves from 3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs minced
  • 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar such as rice wine or sherry or apple cider or even plain old distilled vinegar, plus more to taste
  • sea salt to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Dump the split peas in your slow cooker and nestle the ham hock into the split peas. Pile in the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and then tuck in the bay leaves. Season with pepper and pour the water over the top.
  2. Set your slow cooker to low and walk away for about 10 hours. When the soup is done, it will be thick and creamy and the split peas should be soft and broken down. If the split peas still seem pretty firm, crank your slow cooker to high and check it every hour or so until the peas soften.
  3. Fish out the bay leaves and discard them. Remove the ham hock and place it on a plate until it’s cool enough to handle. Discard the skin, bones, and any cartilage. Shred the ham.
  4. If desired, use an immersion blender to purée the soup to the desired consistency. Stir in the shredded ham, thyme, frozen peas, and vinegar. Continue to cook on low until the frozen peas are heated through, about 15 minutes. Taste and add up to 1 teaspoon salt, depending on how salty your ham hock. (Don’t be shy with the salt. It really brings out the flavor of the soup. Trust us.)
  5. Ladle the soup into bowls right away or let it cool and cover and refrigerate it for up to several days and be amazed at how much richer the soup tastes after the flavors have a chance to meld. (Alternately, you can portion the soup into individual resealable plastic bags or containers and toss them in the freezer for up to 1 month.)

Notes

  • Use leftover ham--If you've got some leftover ham and a ham bone on hand, it will work well in place of the ham hock. Add the bone to the soup while it cooks, then stir in the chopped or shredded ham in step 4.
  • Get ahead--Chop all your vegetables the night before making this soup so you can toss everything into the slow cooker the next morning and walk away.
  • Thinning the soup--If the soup is too thick, thin with more water, chicken stock, or vegetable broth.
  • Storage--The soup will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days (and even improves with time!) or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 198kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 36g (12%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Monounsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 33mg (1%) Fiber 14g (56%) Sugar 6g (12%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8to 12 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 198

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 198kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 36g 12%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 33mg 1%
Fiber 14g 56%
Sugar 6g 12%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.