Pea soup doesn’t have to be the clumpy, thick green soup that is the stuff of kids nightmares. Instead, you can modernize that old fashioned soup with this refreshingly different Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup. Hungry? Let’s get cooking!
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When I was a kid, my Oma used to make Split Pea Soup the old European way which started with making a flavorful broth from simmering a ham bone for hours and hours. The whole process took all day – from the simmering to the cooking – but it was a labor of love and we all loved the soup.
These days, when I want a split pea soup, I generally either a) don’t have a ham bone on hand or b) don’t have all day to make the soup.
So, this Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup has become my go-to when craving the same flavors, minus all the time to cook it.
What You Need To Make Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup
This is a simple and versatile soup that doesn’t take much kitchen skill or equipment. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A large pot
- A sharp knife
- A cutting board
Ingredients to Make This Split Pea Soup Recipe
- Chicken broth (homemade is best!)
- Ham
- Smoked sausage
- Bacon
- Carrot
- Celery
- Onion
- Green split peas
- Yellow split peas
- Kale
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
How to Make Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup
This isn’t quite a dump-and-go soup recipe, because in order to coax all the best flavors out of the ingredients, you need to give the meats and then the veggies a quick sauté.
- Chop up the sausage and ham and sauté it in butter. Remove the sausage and ham then add the bacon, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Add the chicken broth to the veggies (you don’t add the meat till the end), add the kale, and the green and yellow split peas.
- Simmer for about 45 minutes. Then, add the sausage and ham and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Chef Jenn’s Tips
- I like to use a combination of green and yellow split peas, but use what you can find.
- A good quality smoked sausage is essential! Don’t try to use Italian sausage or the flavors won’t be the same.
- If you really want to go Gourmet Geek, use double-smoked bacon.
- Homemade chicken broth lends a lovely flavor, but boxed broth will work as well
- Cut the ham and sausage small enough to get some in every bite, but not so small that they disintegrate in the soup. About 1/2-inch dice works fine.
What To Serve With This Split Pea & Ham Soup Recipe
My son gobbles this soup by the bowlful and never needs anything else with it. In fact, it is a hearty enough soup complete with veggies, carbs, and proteins, making it a full meal in a bowl.
However, it also pairs nicely with a salad or sandwich at lunch, or just a crusty piece of bread for a tasty dinner.
For soup on the go! Stays hot and looks great, too!
Is Split Pea Soup Recipe Freezer Friendly?
Yes! It’ll freeze just fine! To freeze it, portion it in freezer-friendly plastic zipper-top bags or in containers.
To reheat it, remove it from the container or bag and heat it slowly on the stovetop over a low heat, or microwave it from thawed or frozen.
Yes! It is relatively low in fat, and thanks to the split peas, it is loaded with fiber. This tasty soup recipe clocks in at 15g of protein and a whopping 16g of fiber making it a nutritional powerhouse.
No! But you do want to pick through them looking for any funky bits of peas or sometimes a stray bit of something ends up in the bag.
Yes, it’s a good idea to, in order to remove any dust but it won’t hurt you if you don’t rinse them.
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Step By Step Process
Split Pea, Ham & Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1 cup smoked sausage diced
- 1 cup ham diced
- 1/2 cup bacon diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup onion finely diced
- 8 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 2 cups kale washed, pulled off the stem and roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1 cup yellow split peas
- 2 cups green split peas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- In the soup pot, brown the ham and sausage in the butter until golden brown and aromatic.
- Remove from the pot and set aside.
- Add the bacon, onion, and celery to the pot and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the diced carrot, washed and roughly chopped kale, split peas, bay leaves, and chicken broth to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
- Add the ham and sausage chunks and any juices to the pot. Put the lid back on and bring back to a simmer and cook an additional 10-15 minutes or until peas are tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, remove the bay leaves, and serve!
Nutrition
A Note on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed.
