Creamy Homemade Split Pea Soup: An Easy Fall Favorite

When the cool breeze of autumn sets in and leaves start changing colors, there’s nothing quite like a warm bowl of homemade split pea soup to kick off soup season.  During the cooler months we have this in our go-to recipe rotation at least twice a month due to how easy split pea soup is to make. It is a great place to start for first time cooks.  The freshly chopped garlic, onion, carrots and celery make the perfect base for this classic recipe. Made in the crock pot, this recipe guarantees a creamy and flavorful dish that’s loaded with vegetables and perfect for those busy weeknight dinners. However, if the instant pot is more your speed you can use that as well. This is one of our favorite soup recipes as it is a hearty soup with a ton of flavor.

Why Split Pea Soup?

This delicious soup also packs a nutritional punch. Split peas are an excellent source of dietary fiber, protein, and essential vitamins and minerals.  You can use either yellow or green split peas, but we prefer green because they are less starchy and sweeter. It is a great way to add in a variety of vegetables, but stick with simple ingredients. This makes it a great option for those looking to maintain a healthy diet. Additionally, you can make a vegetarian version if you take out the ham and use vegetable stock.  This makes it a versatile choice for households with varying dietary preferences. The bay leaf gives it added depth of flavor- a must add to this soup.

There are many variations you can make of this soup.  If you have a ham bone you would like to use instead of the chopped ham, just add it in after you add in the peas.  You can also start with bacon slices and chop them up if you prefer bacon over the ham- just saute first before using.

Slow Cooker Convenience

The beauty of making split pea soup in the crock pot is that it requires minimal effort and time on your part. By simply throwing the ingredients into the slow cooker in the morning, you’ll come home to a house filled with the comforting aroma of a perfectly cooked soup.  You can speed up the cook time by preparing it in a pressure cooker as well.

Ingredients:

cups dried split green peas

onion, diced

medium carrots diced

celery stalks diced

cloves of garlic  chopped

bay leaves

vegetable or chicken broth or chicken stock (we love kettle and fire)

dried thyme

salt

diced ham

Instructions:

Rinse the split peas under cold running water and remove anyone unwanted bits. In a a pan over medium heat or the  all in one crock pot sear the onions, carrots, celery and garlic together. Sprinkle in the thyme and salt and stir.  Turn the setting to slow cook and low.  Add in the vegetable broth, peas and ham. Stir the ingredients to mix well and ensure an even distribution of flavors. Add 2 bay leaves on top. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or on high heat for 2-4 hours.

Cooking time can vary in slow cookers so be sure to know how your slow cooker runs. Once the soup has finished cooking, remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender or food processor to blend the soup until smooth and creamy, or leave it chunky if you prefer. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. At this point you can add more salt if needed. Serve hot with your favorite garnishes such as fresh parsley, croutons, black pepper or a drizzle of olive oil. We love serving this with crusty bread.

One of the best things about homemade split pea soup is its versatility. While this has meat,  you can easily adapt it to suit your preferences and make it vegetarian by using the vegetable broth and removing the ham. You can even add in some mushrooms or fire roasted peppers to kick it up a notch.  Our kids love to drizzle in sour cream and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.  It gives it a baked potato flavor.

Make-Ahead Tips

If you’re looking to plan ahead, you can prep the ingredients the night before and place them in a airtight container.  This way all you have to do in the morning is dump them in.  If you are cooking for 8-10 hours, you don’t have to sauté the vegetables first.  You can throw them all in the slow cooker and let them cook all day.

When it comes to a creamy soup, the crock pot is your best friend. With minimal effort and incredible flavors, this fall favorite is a true weeknight delight. By loading it up with vegetables and customizing it to suit your preferences, you can create a wholesome and satisfying meal that warms you from the inside out. It also makes the perfect lunch for the next day.  We try to keep leftovers less that 24 hours in the refrigerator so if lunch the next day isn’t an option you can freeze it for on the days you want a bowl of soup.

So, grab your crock pot, gather your ingredients, and let the fragrant aroma of homemade split pea soup welcome you home on those cold weather evenings.  Sometimes it is hard to get kids to try it at first because of the color, but once they try it they are hooked!