Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham, or without, is a hearty, delicious soup that is pure comfort food! Make this crock pot split pea soup recipe on a chilly day, or any time you crave a bowl of rich, flavorful split pea soup.
Ingredients
- 1 lb Green Split Peas, rinsed and sorted (unsoaked)
- Meaty Ham Bone (or meat of your choice. See Below)
- 1 Onion, diced
- 3 ribs Celery, diced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ¼ teaspoon Thyme Leaves, dried (or 3 sprigs fresh)
- 3 Carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 6 cups Low Sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth (or water)
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke (Optional) for vegetarian version
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt, add last, after cooking, if needed (or ¼ tsp table salt)
Use any of these for your meat (or a combination of them)
- 6 slices Bacon, uncooked, chopped
- 2 small Ham Hocks (Not very meaty, but add a nice smoky flavor and richness)
- 2 - 3 cups Diced Leftover Ham
- 1 Leftover Ham Bone (I like to use this with the diced ham)
Instructions
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After rinsing and sorting the split peas, add them to a 6-quart crock pot.
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Add your choice of meat, if using (such as a leftover ham bone, ham hock, etc.)
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Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, thyme, carrots, garlic, and pepper.
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Pour in the broth and stir (Add liquid smoke, if using, for vegetarian method).
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Place the lid on the crock pot.
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Cook on Low for 8-9 hours, or until the peas are soft and creamy.
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When the cooking time has finished, remove the bay leaves and the ham bone or ham hocks, if you used them.
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Stir the soup well, and taste. Add the salt as desired.
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Serve hot. The soup will thicken quite a bit when it cools, that is normal. It will thin out again when reheated.
Recipe Notes
If you want a Vegetarian or Vegan soup, omit the meat, use vegetable broth, and try some liquid smoke to give the soup a nice smoky hint of flavor.
Calories are approximate as this will vary greatly by the type of meat, or no meat, you choose to use.