Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, a classic, hearty, healthy soup made with dried peas, vegetables, stock, and a couple ham hocks for a wonderful smoky flavor. Just throw everything in the slow cooker and dinner is done!

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My mom and I are big soup eaters.  She has been making me split pea soup since I was a little kid, and I have been making it for my family for years. 

I will admit, it’s not the prettiest bowl of food you’ll ever see (or the easiest to get kids to try), but this green soup is delicious! 

When I first made this recipe, neither one of my kids would even touch it. 

Now, one of my boys gets excited when he finds out we’re having it for dinner!  Even my husband, who is not a “soup guy”, enjoys Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup.

Not only is this pea soup tasty, it’s comforting, easy to make, and healthy, too! 

Split peas are loaded with fiber and protein, and this recipe is chock full of vegetables. 

My mom usually makes hers on the stove, but I try to use my slow cooker any chance I get, so here is my version.  It’s so simple, anyone can do it!  

Bonus: No need to pre-soak the split peas!

Ingredients needed for this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):

• Dried split peas – no need to pre-soak them
• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrot
• Celery
• Chicken or vegetable stock
• Smoked ham hocks
• Bay leaves
• Salt & Pepper

How to make Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup:

1. Making this soup is as easy as adding dried peas, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and bay leaves to slow cooker.  It’s so colorful and vibrant.  Isn’t it beautiful? 
2. Then add the ham hocks, vegetable or chicken stock, vegetables, and season with salt & pepper.  Stir everything around and put the lid on.  That’s it!

How to serve Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Whether you like to eat this soup in the chill of winter or all year long, there are great ways to enjoy split pea soup!

• In the warm summer months, I like to enjoy this soup with a side green salad.
• When it’s fall or winter and I’m craving comfort food, I’ll serve this soup with a loaf of crusty French bread, a baguette, or sliced garlic bread.

Do I need to soak dried peas to make split pea soup?

No, you do not need to pre-soak dried split peas to make split pea soup.  Just add them to the slow cooker as-is.

How to store split pea soup?  Can you freeze it?

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Yes, you can freeze split pea soup, however, it loses a lot of liquid, so you may need to add some to reconstitute the soup when reheating.

What kind of meat is in pea soup?  

I use ham hocks in this recipe because they’re smoked and they add a great flavor to this soup.

Some of my readers have mentioned that they use smoked turkey wings or legs if they can’t find ham hocks in the stores.

Instead of ham hocks, I have made this recipe with leftover Easter ham and chopped ham steaks.  While you do get the meat, you don’t get that yummy smoky flavor ham hocks provide.

Can you make split pea soup vegetarian?

Yes!  Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

To get the slight smoky flavor the ham hocks provide, you can use a tiny bit of little liquid smoke and/or smoked salt.

Looking for more soup recipes?  Here are some favorites:

• Perfect Steak Chili
• Slow Cooker Beef & Lentil Soup
• Italian Meatball & Gnocchi Soup (shown below)
• Slow Cooker Sausage Chickpea Soup
• Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
• Italian Chickpea Vegetable Soup
• Slow Cooker Creamy Green Chile Chicken Soup

NOTES:

• I like to chop my veggies in relatively thick pieces so they don’t disintegrate in the soup.
• Ham hocks are a hit or a miss with meat.  Some have tons of meat, some of them have barely any.  

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Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Flavorful Eats

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup, a classic, hearty, healthy soup made with dried peas, vegetables, stock, and a couple ham hocks for a wonderful smoky flavor. Just throw everything in the slow cooker and dinner is done!

5 from 13 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

0 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 5

Equipment

• 5-quart or larger slow cooker

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 lb. dried split peas no need to pre-soak them
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 celery stalks sliced
• 1 cup thickly sliced carrots
• 2 bay leaves
• 2-3 ham hocks
• 4-5 cups chicken stock reserve 1 cup as needed
• Salt & Pepper as needed
• 1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning

Instructions

 

• Add split peas, onion, garlic, carrot, celery, bay leaves, and poultry seasoning to slow cooker.
• Nestle the ham hocks on top and pour 4 cups of chicken stock over everything. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and put the lid on.
• Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
• If the soup seems too thick, add some of the reserved chicken stock until your desired texture is obtained.
• Remove ham hocks from slow cooker. When they have cooled enough to handle them, remove the meat from them and add the meat to the soup in slow cooker. Discard ham hocks once you have removed the meat from them.
• If needed, add salt & pepper and serve with a side salad or some crusty bread. Enjoy!

Keyword Legumes, Slow Cooker, Soup, Vegetables

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