By Ali Slagle
- Total Time
- 2 hours 20 minutes
- Rating
- 4(2,450)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This customizable recipe for classic split pea soup allows you to make it vegetarian or not with equally delicious results. Meat eaters can get that classic smoky flavor by adding bacon or ham hock, while vegetarians can reach for the smoked paprika. Half the split peas are added part way through cooking, which adds texture to each cozy, hearty spoonful.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 6slices bacon or 1 (1-pound) smoked ham hock, or 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 2medium leeks, white and pale green parts rinsed and thinly sliced (about 1¾ cups)
- 4garlic cloves, minced
- 1medium onion, diced (about 1½ cups)
- Salt and black pepper
- 2medium carrots, scrubbed and diced (about 1½ cups)
- 1pound dried split green peas
- 2fresh thyme sprigs
- 8 to 12cups chicken stock or water
- Lemon wedges, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
611 calories; 32 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 53 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 29 grams protein; 2133 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
If using bacon: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 12 to 13 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with a paper towel, leaving behind the rendered fat for cooking. Once cool, crumble the bacon and set aside for garnish. If using ham hock: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the olive oil, then brown the ham hock until golden, about 6 minutes. If making the soup vegetarian: In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the olive oil.
Step
2
Add the leeks, garlic and onion, and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes. (If the vegetables seem dry, add a little olive oil.) Stir in the carrots, paprika (if using), half of the split peas, thyme and 8 cups stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, stirring occasionally, for about 45 minutes until peas are tender.
Step
3
Mash the soup coarsely with a potato masher or give it a few quick blitzes with an immersion blender (watch out for the thyme sprigs). If you’d prefer a smoother soup, blitz until nearly smooth. Add the remaining ½ pound split peas and simmer about 1 hour, or until the peas are soft. If at any point the soup looks too thick, add more stock or water; if it looks too thin, remove the lid during the second simmer until it thickens. If using ham hocks, remove any meat from the bone, cut it into small cubes and stir into the soup. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with crumbled bacon, if using, and lemon wedges.
Tip
- Soup can be made 1 week in advance. Add stock when reheating if needed.
Ratings
4
out of 5
2,450
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Cooking Notes
Diane
I make a Dutch smoked ham and pea soup recipe that’s very close to this—except you use yellow peas instead of green, and you add diced celery root and yellow potatoes along with the diced leeks, carrots, and onion AFTER cooking the ham and peas for about 2 hours. The veggies cook in the simmering soup for about 30-45 minutes. This way the soup is not monkey-puke green, it has a more complex taste, and the vegetables are colorful and intact. Once I tried yellow peas, I never cooked green again.
Carol
Just found this in the article! “ It doesn’t seem like a midweek recipe, but you could put all the ingredients into an electric pressure cooker with around 6 cups of stock, cook it on high pressure for 20 minutes, use a manual release of the steam to blitz the peas, and have it for dinner on Tuesday night in under an hour”
ben
Add about 1lb cubed potatoes along with the second round of peas to make an extra-hearty winter soup. The soup is finished when the potatoes are tender.Lemon is a must at the end to brighten this up.
FJ
If you liked this recipe, try Jacque Pepin’s split pea soup recipe. I’ve loved it for years and is guaranteed not to disappoint.
Susan
Smoked Turkey is a good inbetween for those who don't eat pork but are not vegetarian.
Mary Beth
I’m just home after 9 months in hospitals and rehab (had foot reconstruction then caught Covid in a nursing home) and have missed good food in a big way. Finally mobile enough to stand in the kitchen for shortish periods—chopped onions; took a break; chopped carrots; break; diced a ham steak; break—and finally put it together using some beautiful organic split peas my sister sent. LOVED IT—and can’t wait to dig into the many NYT Cooking recipes I craved and saved during my time in Covid hell.
Dario
......where is your dad's recipe so we can compare and let you know
Kluski
Mollie Katzen's vegetarian version uses toasted sesame oil stirred in at the end. Amazing.
joan
you could put all the ingredients into an electric pressure cooker with around 6 cups of stock, cook it on high pressure for 20 minutes, use a manual release of the steam to blitz the peas, and have it for dinner on Tuesday night in under an hour
KJG
James Beard used a few whole cloves stuck into onion pieces in his old American split pea soup recipe. I still love this addition.
meganharry
Really good. Immersion blending 1/2 peas and leaving other half intact makes it heartier. We used shallots and celery and left out leeks. Instead of hocks or bacon we used leftover spiral ham and the bone. It was delicious. Subbed dried thyme for fresh and it was not noticeable to us.
sues
Well gang, I'm sorry to say this is quite a good recipe, but it's just not up to my father's. Dad, wherever you are now (hope it really is the good place), thanks for being a soup genius. XXOO
Linda
Saffron. My every time secret soup ingredient. A generous pinch.
Dr Pangloss
Made pretty much the same ingredients but in the instant pot (20 min cooking time) and used all peas at once; immersion-blended the results to a desired consistency. Did not have fresh thyme so used dried. Had a ham bone and a small hock so used both. Amazing to have split-pea soup on a weeknight, one hour from start to finish! Very good.
New Yorker
This is almost the same as the way I have been making split pea soup for decades, without a recipe. I add one or two parsnips along with the other veggies, to me essential for the addition of natural sweetness, and in my vegetarian soup I add grated fresh ginger toward the end of the cooking. I do use half green and half yellow split peas. I will try smoked paprika next time.
ian
Used celery instead of leaks. 10 cups broth/water. Best soup recipe
Mch
My peas took about 4 hr to soften and I added quite a bit of additional water/broth. Otherwise excellent as suggested. I added about 1/2 pound of deli ham chopped and that worked well.
Lucie
Made as written, using smoked paprika (yum!), added ham steak (cubed). Served with a crusty miche. It was savory, hearty, perfect for a cold night.
Kelsey
Ham > bacon. Just put in all the split peas in the beginning. 1.5 thee recipe so there is some to freeze, other wise it is like 6 servings and a good amount of work/ time
Kelsey
Add peas at once and ham>bacon.
Kim Howard
I can't believe I made it to the age of 55 without ever knowing to add a squeeze of lemon to split pea soup right before eating! What a difference! I also took KJG's advice from James Beard and added a whole clove to a piece of onion, to add a bit more flavor. Big hit in our household!
Kim
It was delicious, but the peas that I added in the second half of the recipe did NOT cook and remained crunchy.
DKrieger
I have always found that using a can of cheap beer with the stock makes the best pea soup. Yum!
Elena Z
I've made this recipe a few times & am always pleased with the outcome. My veg variation was 3 leeks, 1 smallish onion, and added 2 sm stalks celery. For meat, I cooked 6 oz Irish bacon, removed from pan & chopped up to add at the end. Also included smoked paprika for the rich & warm flavor - perfect for this soup. I simplified cooking - added the whole pound of dry peas at once for 1hr 15 min & then used immersion blender to break up big chunks. Removed herb stalks & bay leaf before blending.
Rachel O
I used a ham hock, browned per instructions, and placed it back in the pot after sautéing the veg, leaving it in for the full cooking time. After reading some of the other comments I held off on adding any salt and it was the right move. The ham hock provided all the salt needed and the soup was delicious. I also added all the peas at once.
Bates
My only edit: unless you are certain that you like some of the peas al dente, I’d just add all the peas at once. Also, next time I will tie the thyme sprigs in a “bouquet” so they’re easier to fish out.
colleen
Follow comments to use pinch of saffron, shallot and celery instead of leek
Levi McGorty
My family found this recipe very watery even with the 8cups of broth. We usually prefer a thicker soup. I’m sure it will be best after resting for a few days.
Basenji in Austin
Made it vegan the smoked paprika and vegan bacon. Soup was very good.
rosyjen
I found a few pinches of brown sugar rounded out the flavor. And added dried chilis with the onion mixture and it had a great heat.
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