This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is loaded with yummy veggies! It is very healthy and creamy and full of flavor! Way better than the canned stuff.
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is rich, warm, nourishing and incredibly flavorful. I’m pretty sure there is no way to make this soup look appetizing; in fact it was the color that turned me off to split pea soup for years. But don’t let the picture fool you! The rich, creamy texture and flavor wins out over the color for sure. It is the perfect soup to warm you up from the inside out on a chilly day. Credit for this soup goes to my mother-in-law. She made this for us recently and was kind enough to share her recipe.
Suggestions for Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- I love all the different veggies in this soup. It is loaded with peas, carrots, potatoes, celery, and onion. But you can add or subtract any veggies you like.
- Add chopped up ham for extra bulk and protein. Ham pairs beautifully with the other flavors in the soup.
- This soup makes a huge batch, so if space is an issue in your Crock pot, I suggest cutting the recipe in half.
- This also freezes nicely so if you do make a full batch but can’t eat it all within a few days, freeze it in individual containers. It’ll stay nice and fresh for up to two months.
- Use up unfrozen leftovers within three to five days.
- If you prefer a smoother texture, you can use a blender or food processor to smooth it out after cooking. Be careful to do this in small batches because it’s hot!
More Slow Cooker Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Chicken and Rice Soup: Chicken and Rice Soup warms you up on cold fall and winter days. It is also ideal for busy days. The ingredients go into the Slow Cooker in the morning and a nice, hot meal awaits in the evening.
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup: There are so many different vegetables in this Slow Cooker Vegetable Beef Soup. It is very healthy and hearty.
- Slow Cooker Cheese Tortellini Soup: This Cheese Tortellini Soup is a flavorful, easy slow cooker meal. Tortellini, sausage, and spinach in a creamy tomato soup and slow cooked to perfection.
- Slow Cooker Pasta E Fagioli Soup: Our version of the Olive Garden Pasta E Fagioli Soup tastes just like the original. It is an Italian seasoned soup easily made in the slow cooker.
- Slow Cooker Zuppa Toscana Soup: Many agree that this Zuppa Toscana Soup Olive Garden Copycat is actually better than the original! It has a creamy both base and is loaded with sausage and potatoes.
How to Make Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is loaded with yummy veggies! It is very healthy and creamy and full of flavor! Way better than the canned stuff.
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Serves: 10 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 package dried split peas about 2 1/2 cups or 1 lb
- 9 cups chicken broth if you like it thick, use 8 c.
- 4 carrots coarsely chopped
- 3 potatoes medium, diced small
- 3 celery stalks chopped
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2-3 cups diced ham
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 bay leaf
INSTRUCTIONS
- Combine all ingredients in a LARGE Crock Pot and cook on low for about 7-8 hours or on high for about 4-5 hours.
- Remove bay leaf before serving.
- Serve with sliced french bread.
- *This makes a LOT (serves 8-10) so if you don't have a large crockpot you may consider halving this recipe.
Tried this recipe?Mention @favoritefamilyrecipes or tag #favoritefamilyrecipes!
The Fallons says
July 14, 2011 at 1:44 amI just made this for dinner and served it in some bread bowls, AMAZING pea soup recipe!!! I love it. Thanks for sharing all these great recipes.
Heather says
February 5, 2012 at 2:19 amOne thing I've noticed with other recipes (I've yet to try this one, but it looks great!) is that it can be good to leave off adding the ham until you're nearly ready to serve, because it can make the entire soup very salty otherwise!
Suzie the Foodie says
February 24, 2012 at 6:23 amYup, I halved the recipe and it is a good thing I did, it just barely fit into my crockpot! It is a very easy and nice recipe. I am writing about it on my blog today. Thanks for the inspiration!
chris says
April 3, 2013 at 5:22 pmDelicious soup! My family loved it. Thanks for the recipe.
Jennifer Cavallaro says
April 19, 2013 at 10:16 amLooks delicious! I love Split Pea Soup 🙂 It’s one of those things that you have to love to appreciate a photo of it…and this photo just makes me hungry (I’m also 6mths pregnant and ALWAYS hungry though, lol). I normally make Split Pea Soup on the stove, but with baby coming I’m going to be needing to use my crock pot more..so I’ll have to try this one soon!
Loretta says
November 7, 2013 at 7:15 amJust made it in the crock pot with a ham bone and all its juices. Hoping it turns out great, have people over for dinner tonight.
Natasha says
November 23, 2014 at 1:46 pmLooks delicious and easy! Does this recipe require blending? Or does it look like the picture after cooking in the crockpot?
Erica says
November 24, 2014 at 9:08 amIf you cook it down, you shouldn’t need a blender. If you want it to be a more pureed consistency you are surely welcome to use and immersion blender to get that consistency!
Rachel LeClair says
December 6, 2014 at 8:15 amDoes the ham have to be fully cooked! I want to cook it on low for 7-8 hours and its country ham so I don’t want it to be too salty. What is your opinion?
Erica says
December 6, 2014 at 4:57 pmRachel, I have always made it with the ham fully cooked and it has always tasted fine. Thanks for asking!
Marla says
November 23, 2014 at 7:50 pmMade this tonight according to the recipe…but it looked nothing like the picture you posted! Flavor was okay… but it took a spin the blender before it looked even remotely like your pick. Won’t be making this again! Next time it will come from a can! Thanks anyway!
Erica says
November 24, 2014 at 9:06 amSorry it didn’t turn out well for you! I don’t know what could have happened :S
Jon says
January 9, 2018 at 8:07 pmThe last Two hours of cooking is critical and temp should be in the 150-160 range….
Mary Ann Walsh says
December 28, 2018 at 2:57 pmIt was delicious
Only not green but brownish
In color
Shelly says
January 9, 2019 at 6:10 pmPerhaps you used lentils instead of split peas if it was brown instead of green?!
cheri says
December 4, 2014 at 11:56 amHave the soup in the pot with leftover ham and ham bone from Thanksgiving dinner. The smell is awesome. Even our canine kids are sniffing the air with “smiles” on their faces. It’s going to be delicious, I know. Thank you for this EZ recipe. You’ve made our day (and probably tomorrow, too).
Erica says
December 6, 2014 at 5:13 pmThank you for your comment! I hope it turned out great!
Courtney says
December 5, 2014 at 11:21 amI’ve never made split pea soup before, but it is one of my favorite soups so I’m going to try it this week. Probably a silly question, but I don’t normally buy ham and I’m not sure what type of ham I should use? Do I purchase from the deli, meat counter or elsewhere in the store? Thank you!
Erica says
December 6, 2014 at 5:01 pmYou can get it from the deli. I just ask them to cut it thicker because I’m going to dice it for a recipe. A Virginia or Black Forest Ham would work great for this recipe. Thanks for asking!
cliff says
December 27, 2014 at 12:20 pmThis is a wonderfully easy soup that taste great…used a meaty ham bone yummy!!!;
Jennifer says
January 5, 2015 at 8:35 amI’ve never made split pea soup before but think I’m going to try this recipe this week. My question is, it says to make sure your crock pot is big enough for recipe. I have a 5 qt, will that be big enough or should I just half it?
Thanks!
Erica says
January 6, 2015 at 8:57 pmIt makes quite a bit, I think a 5qt should probably be ok.. If you are worried about it you could definitely half it. Sorry that was like no help at all haha, I usually use my 6 qt and it fits pretty well.
darlene says
April 30, 2018 at 7:55 pmI have a 5-quart, however, the ham bone did not fit in the pot … I ended up purchasing a larger pot from Amazon and it came in two days — held the bone in the fridge and it all worked out ok … I knew it would not fit in the small pot, but it’s nice to have that small one …
Favorite Family Recipes says
May 2, 2018 at 1:26 pmI love having 2 separate pots– sometimes the big one is too big for what I am doing. Sometimes you just need both sizes!
Brooke says
January 5, 2015 at 7:52 pmBest split pea soup ever! My kids loved an vs and it made plenty for leftovers! Thank you
Emily says
January 6, 2015 at 11:48 amSo glad you liked it!
Nancy Johnson says
January 12, 2015 at 7:05 pmWe loved this recipe! I left out the bay leaf (didn’t have any in the house) and omitted the kosher salt (to lower the sodium). It tasted great!! Thanks!
Erica says
January 14, 2015 at 4:41 pmSo glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
Amanda says
January 14, 2015 at 12:03 pmi’m wondering how this recipe will turn out if I don’t use any meat. Any thoughts? We’re not vegetarian but we don’t eat pork and I don’t know of another meet that would work… Any advice would be great! Thank you!
Erica says
January 14, 2015 at 4:40 pmHi Amanda.. you could probably leave it out, the flavor just won’t be the same. You could try it with another kind of meat.. but it might taste odd :/ sorry not much help here!
Susan says
March 22, 2015 at 11:19 amI often replace pork in soups with beef smoked sausage.
Echo says
March 23, 2015 at 7:41 amThat is a great substitution for this recipe. The beef smoked sausage will give the soup a delicious flavor. Thanks for the tip!
Pam says
February 11, 2015 at 11:51 amI don’t eat pork either, so I always replace ham with meat from a smoked turkey leg or thigh.
Vickie says
October 22, 2015 at 1:34 pmFor a vegetarian version, try adding in some chopped sweet potato (small dice). I don’t know why but when I have used this method with other soups — such as lentil soup — something about the sweet potato adds just a hint of pork/meat flavor. The sweet potato taste isn’t there but bumps up the flavor of the dish overall.
Theresa says
January 15, 2015 at 10:44 amI recently made this and loved it! However, I recently made a new lifestyle change because of my health. I’m going to attempt my next batch using cauliflower florets instead of potatoes. Do you think it’ll be too drastic of a change?
Emily says
January 15, 2015 at 10:52 amI think cauliflower is generally a great substitution for potatoes!
Pam says
February 11, 2015 at 11:49 amI don’t eat red meat (including pork), so I cut up meat from a smoked turkey leg to replace the ham. It smells great already, but won’t be ready for several hours. My tummy is grumbling!
kayla says
February 14, 2015 at 7:28 pmJust made this today was super great! I did swap out the chicken broth fro vegetable broth and nixed the ham for a vegan option…turned out fantastic! Thanks so much!
Echo says
February 16, 2015 at 7:39 pmWe’re so glad you liked it! Thank you for the vegan tips!
DeAnna says
February 21, 2015 at 1:30 pmDid you wash the peas first? I didn’t and now I’m scared I ruined it! I wasn’t supposed to sauté the onions and celerty first, right? Thanks!
Erica says
February 23, 2015 at 9:53 amI wouldn’t worry too much about not washing them– I have forgotten sometimes too! Usually I like to give them a little rinse, but that’s just me. It shouldn’t ruin your soup though!
Nikki says
March 9, 2015 at 11:58 amI made this recipe this weekend, it was incredible! Thank you!
Erica says
March 9, 2015 at 5:50 pmSo glad that you liked it! Thanks for your nice comment!
Barb says
March 12, 2015 at 9:39 pmThanks for sharing your great recipe, you saved me, we had all the stuff but I hadn’t made it in years, could not remember how I used to do it. I have a great huge crock pot so this looked easier than I had remembered. Its the recipe I will be using from now on, for sure ! We will do it in the dutch oven over the fire when we are camping as well, Thanks again , cook on and keep sharing
You can replace the ham with corned beef but we like the ham particularly when we get a good one
Echo says
March 14, 2015 at 8:40 amI’m so glad you found the recipe. It’s a great idea to replace the ham with corned beef – that would be fun for St. Patrick’s Day. Thank you!
bethany says
July 22, 2015 at 11:56 amhave you always made this with cut up ham? have you ever tried it with a ham hock? i’m planning to make this tomorrow and thought i might use a ham hock if i can find one but don’t know if it’ll make any difference.
Erica says
July 26, 2015 at 3:42 pmHam hock would be great, let us know how is turns out!
Holly Martin says
October 11, 2015 at 9:22 amHave this in my crock right now – can’t wait to have it for dinner. My mother always made this for me when I was a wee lil kid, has always been my fave soup. Your crock pot recipe inspired me to make it on this crisp autumn day. Thanks for sharing !!
Suzan Campbell says
November 2, 2015 at 8:00 pmExcellent recipe–I cut it
In half but otherwise followed it-and used cubes ham –my husband loves it–he usually adds hot sauce to everything but he said this recipe was perfect as is !!!
And it looked like the picture !!!!
Marianne Bawiec says
November 12, 2015 at 5:04 amDid you soak the peas first?
Erica says
November 12, 2015 at 10:45 amNope! You can definitely try it that way though!
Suzan Campbell says
November 20, 2015 at 11:22 pmNo
Janet says
November 17, 2015 at 5:08 amI made this soup today and it was delicious. The only problem is that on low it didn’t cook all the way, I had to cook it down on the stove top for 30 min. I would put the crock pot on high to get it to cook thoroughly. Other than that it was the best split pea I have made and really easy too.
Erica says
November 18, 2015 at 9:16 pmI know different brands of slow cookers can vary in temperatures– sorry it didn’t work on low for you! Glad you were able to simmer it down and it worked for you. 🙂 Glad you liked it!
Lisa Pepin says
December 8, 2015 at 1:32 pmDoes split peas soup freeze well? I love bringing previously frozen soups to work for lunch. I’m going to make your soup with the ham bone in it.
Thanks,
Lisa
Erica says
December 9, 2015 at 9:08 pmEhh, I don’t know if it is something I would freeze, but I don’t freeze much. You can definitely try it and let us know how it turns out!
Joyous says
November 28, 2018 at 2:57 pmI have made this soup many times and always freeze the leftovers with no problems.
Elyse says
January 3, 2016 at 4:10 pmso far things smell great and look great! On high for about 3 hours.. still doesn’t quite look like the consistency.. how long until it starts looking like yours? 🙂
I am hoping that if I give it a few more hours it will soften up..
Thanks!
Erica says
January 7, 2016 at 10:13 amIt will look like ours once you start stirring it all together when it is finished 🙂
robyn says
January 5, 2016 at 2:33 pmHello Erica!
I absolutely LOVED LOVED LOVED this recipe. Sooooo easy and soooooooo yummy (always better the second day too!). I really appreciate your responses to commenters, I used a 6 qt crockpot, and even though I had to leave out some of the diced vegetables and only use one ham hock, I was prepared for my pot to be very full. Going to try the potato basil soup next.
Thanks again!
Emily says
January 6, 2016 at 9:54 amSo glad you liked it! <3
robyn says
January 5, 2016 at 2:37 pmOOOPS, meant the PEA basil, ha ha!
Barbara coltman says
January 9, 2016 at 3:46 pmI’m trying the pea soup but I don’t have bay leaf can I use oregano
Erica says
January 13, 2016 at 9:50 pmYou can definitely try using oregano instead. We haven’t done it that way before but it will probably be ok
Dick says
February 22, 2016 at 3:55 amVery good. Will make again!
Amber says
July 13, 2016 at 4:11 pmI’ve used this recipe several times and I love it! The only changes I make are I smoke a ham a day or two before and put the ham bone in to let it impart is amazing flavor and I wait until the very end to add the diced ham. That way the ham doesn’t lose all of it’s flavor to the soup. If there is leftovers, they’re fiercely fought over.
Rick says
November 17, 2016 at 4:16 amGreat soup as per recipe , everyone loved it , thanks for sharing.
Echo says
November 18, 2016 at 9:40 amThank you, Rick! I’m so glad you liked it!
Barbi Brand says
December 29, 2016 at 10:00 amEvery year I make split pea w ham soup. First time I’m using my crockpot for it. This is a great recipe, cant wait for it to be done. The only difference is I have always added 1/2 tsp of marjoram & 1/2 tsp of thyme. The last 2 hrs of cooking I add in 1 to 2 diced potatoes (depending on size of potatoes). The very last 1/2 hr of cooking I’ll add a 1/2 cup of frozen peas since the split peas will break down. Tastes just like my Bucia use to make. Thank you for this easy amazing recipe. Bon appetite!
Echo says
December 29, 2016 at 1:20 pmThank you Barbi! I’m glad you like the recipe. I like your adaptations to the recipe. Adding marjoram and thyme sounds delicious!
Linda says
January 28, 2017 at 7:25 amJust turned on the crockpot. Can’t wait for 8 hours to go by. Looks great and already smells wonderful. I used a couple of ham hocks so will need to separate the meat from the bone at the end of the 8 hours. Also added just a small amount of already cooked and chopped ham out of a package from the store. Love Split Pea Soup and am anxiously awaiting a bowl! Thank you for the great crock recipe ~ makes it even easier!
Echo says
January 28, 2017 at 9:22 pmThanks Linda! I’m excited to hear how you liked it.
Marta says
May 18, 2017 at 10:14 pmThis recipe sounds so easy to make ..Can I use shredded carrots..?? thank you !!
Erica says
May 22, 2017 at 7:22 pmYes, you can use shredded carrots 🙂
SIERRA says
August 29, 2017 at 6:57 amI absolutely love this recipe of split pea soup. Has anyone ever made it in an instant pot or pressure cooker? I am new to the whole instant pot thing and was hoping to try that today to cook it quicker. Does anyone of suggestions on how to do this recipe in an instant pot? Thank you.
Favorite Family Recipes says
August 29, 2017 at 1:48 pmI love this suggestion! I will have to experiment with it in the instant pot because I bet it will be great! Let me know how it turns out for you if you try it.
Debbie says
February 22, 2018 at 12:02 pmHi I’m having a really hard time getting the peas to soften. 15 hours of slow cooking over two days now.
Help- my mom said maybe I didn’t buy them fresh enough? How am I to know that? I got out of bulk at Whole Foods
Favorite Family Recipes says
February 23, 2018 at 10:21 amThat is VERY strange. I have never had them take longer than a couple hours to soften. I would let Whole Foods know that they weren’t good. Hope this helps!
Becky says
March 23, 2018 at 9:58 amWow, just made this soup yesterday. It is absolutely delicious. I love split pea soup and have never tried making it myself, but now that I have, I don’t want to ever go back to canned! I did not add the extra salt because my broth already had enough. Also, if you are getting your ham from the deli, asked for it thick sliced and 1 lb. should be just the right amount! Thanks for the great recipe!
Favorite Family Recipes says
March 23, 2018 at 3:03 pmHi Becky- thank you so much! I am so glad you liked this recipe so much. I honestly haven’t bought the canned stuff in years because you really can’t beat how easy this is to make! Thanks for such a nice comment 😀
Sandy says
June 24, 2018 at 10:26 amHave this in my crock pot now, it smells good but it’s soupy and I only added 8 cups of broth how can I get to thick? Thanks
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 26, 2018 at 3:31 pmIt should thicken up by the very end. It looks soupy at first but when you stir it up it will thicken a lot. Hope this helps!
Cindy says
March 15, 2019 at 6:59 pmExcellent … made with all homemade chicken broth. Tried to post a picture but could not. Recipe is a keeper.
Favorite Family Recipes says
March 16, 2019 at 1:55 pmWe would love to see a picture! Feel free to post it on Instagram and tag us, that way we will for sure see it!
Cindy Enlow says
March 15, 2019 at 6:59 pmExcellent … made with all homemade chicken broth. Tried to post a picture but could not. Recipe is a keeper.
Favorite Family Recipes says
March 16, 2019 at 1:54 pmWe would love to see a pic. Feel free to post it on Instagram and tag us!
Susan (Sue) says
May 19, 2019 at 1:37 amFirst-time visitor here at the North Pole (MN) I have been searching for a split-pea/ham soup recipe for a long time. I found your site recently, read all the reviews and have everything all ready to go! Since becoming a widow 6 years ago, and homebound, I have had to retrain my brain from big family style to cooking for one. The biggest factor is that I am originally from Boston/NY and Italian!! I stick out like a sore thumb here in the Midwest. I love to cook, especially anything fresh!!! So now, I share my “Sunday Dinners” with friends. The temps are in the ’40s this weekend (May 19?) so what better time to make this soup! I will keep you posted!
Erica Walker says
May 19, 2019 at 7:40 pmYes please let us know! Thank you for sharing your story with us. That is so nice that you are able to get together with friends and cook a big meal! We hope this soup is a hit with them!