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This easy hearty homemade split pea soup with bacon is perfect for my fellow legume lovers. Highly satiating and full of fiber and plant-based protein, it makes a lovely lunch or light dinner.
For me, classic split pea is the perfect soup for springtime, as it is light and refreshing yet simultaneously satisfying.
I like making it with bacon, which is slightly quicker than using a ham bone, but both options yield great results. I love that you can also repurpose leftover ham from Easter or any holiday gathering too!
Not to mention, split pea is a very inexpensive soup to prepare, and can be made in bulk too. It keeps well, freezes well, and makes a lovely light meal! Enjoy it with some crusty bread and butter for the perfect lunch.
Split Pea Soup Ingredients:
Dry Split Peas: The main ingredient here! Pick up a bag (typically available in 16 ounce measurements) of green split peas at the grocery store. Yellow split peas work too! They simply result in a different color soup.
Bacon: I like using bacon grease to add richness and savory flavor to the soup, and to render fat for cooking the veggies. Plus, crispy bacon is the perfect finishing touch for serving the soup.
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Onion and garlic add a lovely backdrop of flavor.
Chicken Broth: Pick your favorite broth or stock for soup. I use chicken bone broth, but vegetable broth works great too.
Bay Leaf and Italian Seasoning: A little seasoning to bring a touch of herby flavor.
Carrot: Fresh chopped carrots add a little texture and some naturally sweet flavor to the savory meal.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the soup to your personal taste using salt and pepper.
Ways to Customize
- Ham Bone: Skip the bacon and instead add a ham bone or ham hock at the same time as the split pea and broth. You’ll end up shredding the meat once the meal is fully cooked.
- Use Leftover Ham: Chop up 3 to 4 cups of leftover cooked ham and add the diced ham into the soup at the end of cooking.
- Keep it Vegetarian: Omit the meat altogether and follow the recipe using oil rather than bacon for cooking the veggies, and stick with vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
How to Make Split Pea Soup:
Place a large pot (such as a Dutch oven) on the stove top and heat to medium-high heat. Add the strips of bacon in a single layer. Cook for a few minutes per side, or until the bacon is crispy and much of the fat has rendered.
Use tongs to pull out the bacon and place it on a cutting board to cool. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Transfer the chopped onion to the pot with the bacon grease and sauté, stirring frequently, until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and continue sautéing another 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the chicken broth, water, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and split peas. Give everything a big stir, cover the pot, and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, covered. Check on the soup and if the peas haven’t begun falling apart yet, cook for another 20 minutes at a simmer.
Add in the chopped carrots, cover the pot again, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the carrots have softened and peas have softened to the point of falling apart.
For very thick soup, remove the lid during this last stint so that some of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the chopped cooked bacon.
Taste the soup for flavor, and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. Serve in big bowls, and enjoy! If you like it, give each bowl of soup a drizzle of olive oil and fresh lemon juice or freshly grated parmesan cheese. I love serving split pea soup with cornbread or crusty bread and butter.
Recipe Tips
- The good news is there is no need to soak the split peas prior to starting the recipe. Unlike cooking dry beans, you won’t need to set aside time to soak split peas.
- Adjust the amount of cook time based on how soft you like your split pea soup. It takes about 1 hour and 20-30 minutes for split peas to begin to break down, and they continue softening the longer they are cooked. To speed up the process, cook split peas for 30-40 minutes and use an immersion blender to blend to a smooth consistency.
- For a thinner soup consistency, use 8 cups of liquid, and for a thicker soup consistency, use 6 to 7 cups of liquid.
Storage Options
- Refrigerator: Store split pea soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: For longer term storage, transfer the leftover soup to a large freezer bag or freezer safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
What to Serve with Split Pea Soup:
- Italian Salad
- 2-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Bagels
- Gluten-Free Bacon Cheddar Biscuits
- Sweet Potato Kale Salad
- Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Crunchy Spring Mix Salad
- Greek Pasta Salad
And that’s it for this easy split pea soup recipe! Made with simple ingredients and zero fancy techniques, it is the perfect go-to for meal prepping for cold weather.
If you enjoy hearty soup recipes, also try some of my other fan favorites.
More Soup Recipes:
- Crock Pot Coconut Chicken Soup
- Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup
- Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Mediterranean Chicken Soup
- Coconut Lime Fish Soup
Split Pea Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 to 4 cups water, to your desired consistency
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 pound (16 oz) split peas, rinsed
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place a large pot (such as a Dutch oven) on the stove top and heat to medium-high heat. Add the strips of bacon in a single layer. Cook for a few minutes per side, or until the bacon is crispy and much of the fat has rendered. Use tongs to pull out the bacon and place it on a cutting board to cool. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop it into small pieces and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Transfer the chopped onion to the pot with the bacon grease and sauté, stirring frequently, until it has softened, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and continue sautéing another 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth, water, bay leaf, Italian seasoning, and split peas. Give everything a big stir, cover the pot, and bring it to a full boil. Reduce the heat to low heat and simmer for one hour, covered. Check on the soup and if the peas haven’t begun falling apart yet, cook for another 20 minutes at a simmer.
- Add in the chopped carrots, cover the pot again, and cook for an additional 30 minutes, until the carrots have softened and peas have softened to the point of falling apart. For very thick soup, remove the lid during this last stint so that some of the liquid evaporates. Stir in the chopped cooked bacon.
- Taste the soup for flavor, and add sea salt and black pepper to your personal taste. Serve in big bowls, and enjoy! If you like it, give each bowl of soup a drizzle of olive oil and fresh lemon juice or freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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