Last Updated on October 5, 2021 by Anne-Marie

You'll love this quick and easy split pea soup recipe, even if you think making a homemade split pea soup recipe from scratch takes too much effort.

It's a wonderful dinner recipe to cook during those busy weeknights. That's because it's much simpler to put together than you think!

Why this recipe works

A batch of this split pea soup takes about 60 minutes. Most of that is simmer time when you can be doing other things like cleaning up or helping the kids with homework.

Plus, the taste of this green pea soup is so worth it. It's amazing!

Especially when you compare it to canned soup, which can be full of sodium and other ingredients you may not want.

Ingredients

• Split peas – you can use green split peas, yellow split peas, or even orange ones!
• Chicken stock or vegetable stock (chicken or vegetable broth is fine, too)
• Olive oil
• Red onion (you can also use yellow onion or even celery stalks)
• Garlic cloves
• Fresh thyme leaves or dried thyme
• Ground black pepper
• Sea salt

How to make easy split pea soup

This split pea soup recipe is based on a friend's recipe, and I make it at least once a month during the cold weather months.

1. Pour the bag of split peas onto a plate to check that there are no rocks or other foreign objects in with the peas.
2. Heat olive oil in a 4-quart pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, minced garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt. Stirring frequently, sauté until onions soften, start to brown and caramelize.
3. Add stock and peas. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
4. Cover pot and simmer 60 minutes or until peas are soft. Stir occasionally.
5. You can puree the soup in a blender, a food processor, or with a wand blender if you wish.
6. Serve with gluten-free bread and a nice side salad.
7. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to a week.

FAQ

Can you make this vegan?

Looking to make a vegan split pea recipe? Use vegetable stock to make this into a vegan or vegetarian split pea soup recipe.

Is this soup gluten-free?

Check the label to make sure the stock or broth you're using is gluten-free. Make sure to check those labels while shopping at the grocery store.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Reduce the amount of broth to 3 cups.

Add all ingredients to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 8 hours.

However, in my opinion, it's easier and more delicious to make this on the stovetop.

Can I make this in an Instant Pot?

Yes! Here's how:

1. Press the Saute setting. Heat up your pot for a couple of minutes, then add the olive oil.

2. Add onions, minced garlic, thyme, pepper, and salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Then press Cancel. 

3. Pour in the chicken broth. Add the split peas. If you're adding a ham bone or ham hock, place it in the Instant Pot at this time.

4. Cover with the lid and press Manual mode. Set to 15 minutes.

5. When the time is up, allow pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release to get rid of the remaining pressure in your pressure cooker.

Read and learn how to do a quick release and a natural release on your Instant Pot.

Variations

Adding ham

If you like, you can add a smoked ham hock to the soup for a marvelous smoky flavor. Add the ham hocks to the soup when you add the peas.

You can also add leftover chopped spiral-cut ham to the soup to turn it into a ham and pea soup recipe. Add the small pieces of leftover ham 10 minutes to the pot before serving.

I also like using the leftover ham shank or a meaty ham bone from a holiday ham in this recipe.

Pureeing the soup

For a smooth and creamy soup, run it through a high-speed blender, a food processor, or use a hand blender directly in the Dutch oven.

Using a high immersion hand blender is the easiest way to puree this soup since you don't have to transfer it to the blender and then back into the pot.

If you don't have an immersion blender, treat yourself to one!

Can I freeze split pea soup?

Make a double batch of this recipe and freeze half for later.

1. Cool the soup down.

Don't leave the soup on the counter to cool down. This isn't a good food safety practice. (Yeah, yeah, I know we all do it. But still.)

Instead, you can cool the soup down rapidly by placing the pot or Dutch oven in a bath of ice water in the sink. Stir the best split pea soup often to cool it down more quickly.

2. Store the soup. 

You can pour the soup into freezer-safe food storage containers.

Some people also like freezing vegetable soup in gallon Ziploc freezer bags. This can be a bit tricky to do, but it has the advantage that you can then stack the frozen bags in your freezer, which saves space.

To pour the soup into the freezer bag:

1. Place the bag in a bowl.
2. Cuff the bag over the edge of the bowl.
3. Ladle the soup into each bag.

(You can also have a helper hold the bag open for you.) Then carefully press out any air. Seal up the bag.

Remember to label and date the containers or bags.

3. Freeze the soup. 

Stack the containers or lay the Ziploc freezer bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. After the bags freeze, you can then stack the bags to save freezer space.

The soup should remain good for at least three months.

4. Thaw and reheat.

To thaw, defrost the containers overnight in the refrigerator.

Another way to thaw the frozen soup is to place the containers or freezer bags in a large bowl full of room temperature water to melt in a few hours.

Then you can warm the soup up on the stovetop or microwave it.

How to make your own stock in the slow cooker

I make homemade stock in my slow cooker to use in split pea soup and other healthy recipes. That way I don't have to worry about gluten or other additives.

1. After roasting a chicken or turkey, take the carcass or bones and place them in your slow cooker. Cover with water.

2. Add some herbs to the water – thyme, oregano, sage, bay leaves, rosemary, etc. Dried or fresh will work.

3. Add a crushed garlic clove or two. Cut up an onion, a couple of carrots, parsnips, and some stocks of celery (whatever you have on hand), and add them all to the slow cooker.

4. Cover and cook on low overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.

5. Remove large bones and vegetables from the slow cooker and strain the liquid into food storage containers. Label with date and type of stock (turkey, chicken, etc.).

6. If you want, you can pour the stock into a couple of ice cube trays. Freeze and store cubes in freezer bags to use when you just need a little stock in your cooking.

Looking for more soup recipes for a busy weeknight?

● Try this 30-minute Pozole Recipe. It's a simple recipe for when you don't have much time.

● Searching for a comforting soup? You'll love this Kale Soup Recipe.

● You'll also enjoy this Easy Tomato & Okra Soup, and it makes a lovely meal with some hearty bread.

● Serve this creamy gluten free cream of mushroom soup for dinner. You won’t believe how quick and easy it is to make from scratch!

● Make this easy Instant Pot Potato Soup recipe in about an hour. Made with bacon, it’s creamy and delicious.

Originally posted on February 9, 2015. Updated with new pictures and information.