Wade and I picked up a ham from Honey Baked Ham a few weeks ago to share at a family gathering. It was delicious… but we ended up with SO much leftover ham. As a result, I’ve had this meaty ham bone sitting in my freezer, taking up space.

In an attempt to clean out my freezer, I decided to use the ham bone to make some split pea soup. Split pea soup has always been a favorite of mine, probably due to the delicious flavor of the ham bone broth… and then the split peas, of course.

Split peas are VERY similar to lentils (both being a part of the legume food group). They have essentially the same nutritional benefits as lentils, which needless to say are A LOT of benefits. It’s hard not to be amazed by just how much protein is backed into this food.

The other thing I love about this recipe is how it continues to taste amazing when it gets reheated. This isn’t one of those recipes that you’ll hate having leftovers of. If I’m not going to finish it off in a few days, I’ll usually freeze my leftover soup and it turns out so yummy!

Get ready to enjoy a delicious bowl of this homestyle split pea soup ♡

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

♡ The HAM FLAVOR!! Doesn’t get much better :)

♡ The HEALTH benefits of split peas!! We’re talking about PROTEIN, fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, and more. If you are one of those people who constantly find yourself low in iron, lentils and split peas are a delicious and versatile food that can help you out.

♡ Nothing says homestyle and COMFORT food quite like ham! Now combine ham with warm soup, and you’re ready to conquer winter!!

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST SPLIT PEA SOUP

1) Allow yourself enough cooking time! Split peas do take quite a while to get soft, so it’s a good idea to allow yourself plenty of cooking time to ensure the soup turns out delicious.

2) Add enough seasoning! If the flavor isn’t coming through for you, add more until it does. I like to add thyme, salt, chicken bullion, pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and you can even throw in some fresh parsley to bring it to the next level!

SERVING IDEAS

I really don’t have a ton of serving suggestions for this recipe because it truly is so delicious on its own, however I do love having some fresh bread on the side. SO yummy!! This soup is especially perfect for a cold winter day when you just want to eat soup while wrapped in blankets in front of the fire (or at least that’s all I want to do in the winter…)

STORAGE

I’ve stored this soup in both the fridge and freezer before and both ways work great! When I’m freezing this soup, I usually measure it out into gallon ziplock bags, which I label and let cool before I put them into the fridge.

I absolutely love having this soup in my freezer because it is SO simple to thaw a bag of it and have a delicious homemade dinner ready in less than 10 minutes. I totally recommend it!!

HOW TO…

Begin by adding the ham bone to a large stock pot, along with 9 cups of water.

Add the carrots, onions, and split peas to the pot. Seasonings include: thyme, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and bay leaves. You may also choose to add parsley and / or chicken bullion.

Cook the soup in the stock pot on HIGH heat until it reaches a boil, and then turn the heat down to medium or low… just enough to maintain a simmer.

Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 50 minutes. Once the soup has simmered for 50 minutes, pull the ham bone out of the pot and cut off the good meat while the soup continues to simmer. When I talk about good meat, I’m saying that I like to throw out any super fatty chunks :)

Add the chopped ham chunks back into the stock pot and cook the soup for an additional 10-20 minutes more, or until the split peas are soft.

Serve the soup topped with some additional ham chunks and / or fresh parsley. This soup is also delicious with some fresh, homemade bread!

SPLIT PEA SOUP INGREDIENTS

- A MEATY ham bone: This soup is the perfect way to use up a ham after Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any other time that you have a ham sitting in your refrigerator or freezer! I had a ham bone in my freezer that I’d been saving to make soup with… no need to unthaw it, just throw it in the soup pot!

- Water: Water is the base of the soup and crucial in helping the split peas, carrots, and onions cook.

- Chopped Carrots & Onions: The perfect veggie addition! You can also add in some celery if that’s your thing. I personally am not a huge fan of celery… but if you are, go for it. The point is just to add in some other fun flavors, textures, and nutrients :)

- Split Peas: Split peas are a member of the legume family, along with lentils. As such, split peas have many of the same nutritional benefits as lentils, such as being high in potassium, protein, fiber, iron, and magnesium. I’ve found that split peas do take a lot longer to cook than lentils do, but they are delicious!

- Dried Thyme: I love the flavor of this little herb. It’s delicious in so many things, from shepherd’s pie to roasted potatoes to split pea soup. Enjoy!

- Salt & Pepper: Adding flavor to the soup!

- Garlic: Fresh minced garlic will add delicious flavor to the soup. Additionally, Healthline reports that garlic may help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

- Bay Leaves: These leaves boil in the soup until you’re ready to serve it. You’ll then remove the leaves and they’ll leave behind some delicious flavor!

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Directions: