Nothing says winter like soup.
When there’s a foot of snow on the ground and the thermometer is stuck at 20 degrees, there’s nothing as comforting as a nice, hot bowl of soup. And thanks to the magic of the Crockpot, it’s also really easy to make. Just throw everything into the crock in the morning, and when you come home in the evening, soup’s on!
This Crockpot Split Pea Soup is as easy, and as satisfying, as it gets. Just chop up your veggies and some turkey bacon, dump them in the pot with some other kitchen staples , and press go. What could be simpler?
And if you want to make this a vegetarian soup, hey, no problem. All you have to do is leave out the bacon and toss in a couple of medium potatoes, cut into bite-sized cubes, to give it a bit more bulk. If you miss the smoky flavor from the bacon, you can just add a bit of “liquid smoke,” which you’ll find on the flavorings shelf at your grocery store. It’s powerful stuff, so try just a few drops first, and then add more to taste.
Either way, meatless or meaty, this soup is real stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. All it needs is a good, chewy bread to make a complete meal.
Crockpot Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry split peas
- 2 cups of diced turkey bacon, about 8 oz (or 2 cups of any ham product you have on hand)
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 2 cups carrots, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 32 oz of chicken broth (here’s my homemade version)
- 2 cups water
Directions:
- Place all ingredients into a 6 quart crockpot. Cover and and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
Here is the turkey bacon I used. LOVE this stuff! - Remove bay leaves before serving. We love to serve our Crockpot Split Pea Soup with grilled cheese sammies or some warm chunks of bread!
Here is the turkey bacon I used. LOVE this stuff!
Do you love soup? Make sure to check out my favorite crockpot soups! 
Looking for more free recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Crockpot Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry split peas
- 2 cups of diced turkey bacon or 2 cups of any ham product you have on hand
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 32 oz of chicken broth here's my homemade version
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a 6 quart crockpot. Cover and and cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or on HIGH for 4-5 hours.
- Remove bay leaves before serving. We love to serve our Crockpot Split Pea Soup with grilled cheese sammies or some warm chunks of bread!
Save this recipe for later! Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your recipe box!
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Minnie@thelady8home says
Wow! That looks absolutely wonderful. Gorgeous warm soup.
Corey says
Thanks Minnie! XO
Sue L says
As a very recent “discoverer” of the joys of the crockpot, gotta say this recipe/method is a total winner! Years ago, my mom made great stovetop pea soup (similar imgredients), but this is as good–or better–with practically no work or attention!
michelle says
Yes, it does look wonderful– so much that I am cooking it today! It is snowing again! Ugh! This should be a wonderful way to say good bye winter!
Corey says
Snow, snow go away! We just had freezing rain a couple days ago, so I feel your pain Michelle! I hope you love the soup 🙂
Joanne Schofield says
I made this today, it’s amazing! The only thing I forgot to buy was the celery but it made no difference to the end result. My husband inhaled it and asked for a second helping. Thank you!
Corey says
Wonderful Joanne! I am so happy ya’ll loved it! Thanks for stopping by to share 🙂
Nicole says
Do you cook the turkey bacon prior to adding to the crock pot?
Corey says
No, the bacon will cook along with the soup.
Chelsea sipley says
Stupid question I know….can I just use regular bacon….I didn’t know if regular bacon vs turkey bacon cooks differently
Corey says
Yep! You can use any of your favorite bacon 🙂 🥓
meredith says
i am making this today with a left over ham bone . im so excited ! i love soup! thank you for this awesome recipe!!!
Dawn West says
Could this be made into a freezer meal?
Brittany says
I’d say definitely, just omit the chicken broth until you add to the crockpot!
Alex says
Will the split peas “melt”? Mine’s been cooking on low for 6 hours and so far everything is solid and it looks nothing like yours! Not as smooth, I mean. Did you blend it after cooking?
Corey says
I did not blend this soup. Once it is done cooking and you give it a stir, it should all come together 🙂
MaryBeth | The Thrive Blog says
Thank you so much for this easy, delicious recipe! I made this soup this afternoon with yellow split peas and ham. It yielded so much I am having my parents over to enjoy.
MB
PJ says
It doesn’t say to soak the peas first, so I’m assuming that you put them in dry?
I haven’t had split pea soup in forever so I want this, but I’ve never made it.
Robin says
The best peas to buy is GOYA !!! it is right on the package..boil the peas for 2 min in set aside one hour..making some now for my son who loves it and I may say my soup rocks..they also say to throw in a ham hock but sometimes I like smoked pork necks..but it is important to either soak but I prefer the 2 min boil
PJ says
Ah, NOW my original comment shows up -_-
Corey answered me below–you don’t need to pre-soak/cook them for this. I made it a week or so ago without doing so and it was fine.
And while I like Goya, I don’t think there’s likely to be enough difference in dried peas to warrant the extra cost
Sherwood says
Made this on Monday. I tried another slow cooker split pea soup some weeks ago and was a little disappointed. Only a cup of peas was used, so it was far more brothy with some peas floating around. The pictures for your soup looked far more promising, and I was not disappointed! It’s that wonderful sludgy split pea soup that you could stand a spoon up in! It is exactly what we were looking for! I might try pan-frying the bacon at least a little next time to see how that works out, but this is still pretty awesome as-is. 🙂 I love how densely packed this is with vegetables. I want to work more veggies into my and my boyfriend’s diet, but it’s hard when I’m so lazy. I don’t like cooking on days I work, and they have the audacity to have very little shelf-life! So this is just awesome. A nice veggie-packed thing to sit around to be nommed on through the week. I’ve got a maple ham in the slow cooker at this very moment that should be awesome to eat alongside (or in!) this, too. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Jill says
For the thyme, should it be fresh? Or can I use ground? Thanks!
Corey says
Dried springs or ground works best. 🙂
Nessie says
I just got a crockpot for christmas and was wondering if this recipe could be halved for a 3,5l pot? (3,7 quart)
Wanted to try this for my first crocky meal 🙂
Corey says
Yes, I think halving the recipe would work great!
Wendy says
Do you know what the calories per cup would be?
Yvonne Greene says
CALORIES: 292. It was listed with the cooking times. This calorie count is with the listed ingredients. Substituted ingredients may change the calorie count somewhat.
Amy says
This was amazingly good and I am sharing it with family and friends! I used some leftover ham from Thanksgiving and we had it on a cold and rainy night with some warm bread. Lots of leftovers too! I will probably add a small amount of salt next time, but it’s hard to know how salty the ham will make a soup, so that’s probably something to save for last.
PJ says
Not sure why my comment seemed to get skipped over. I was wondering if you have to pre-soak the peas at all? I know it doesn’t say it, but I’d rather ask a stupid question than be sorry.
Corey says
No you do not.
Beth says
Do you think frozen peas will work instead of dried? I have so many of them!
Corey says
I don’t think they would Beth. Sorry.
pseudo nym says
I’d guess that with frozen English peas you’d have to leave out the water and perhaps some broth. Since the recipe calls for 16 oz dried beans and 16 oz water for them, you might try using 32 oz frozen peas.
You’d may have to “blend”, perhaps just stir vigorously, the finished product a bit to loosen the pea contents from the shells, and you’d probably end up with a more fibrous soup, depending on how tough or delicate the peas were (they vary widely as you know).
Cheryl says
I have this in my crock pot at home as I type! I put in about 1.5 pounds of ham steak and two ham hocks. I hope it comes out good…can’t wait to get home and find out!
Margaret J says
Thanks for the recipe! The last time I made split pea soup on the stove I idly wondered how I would adapt it for a slow cooker. One thing, though: In your instructions for making this vegetarian you should probably suggest using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth…since chicken isn’t vegetarian. ?
Cindy Perry Farnham says
Trying your recipe today…put a left over ham bone in and plan on cooking for more than 8 hours….hope the soup will be ok??? Plan on dividing the soup into one serving containers…sharing it with my daughter…we are the only family members that enjoy split pea soup!!!
Tina Gospodarec says
This soup was so simple but absolutely delicious!
Corey says
Thanks Tina!
Heather says
I made this and just got done devouring a bowl. It was sooooo good! Perfect bowl of split pea and ham soup. I used packaged cubed ham instead of turkey bacon. This recipe is beyond easy and spot on.
Andrea says
Thank you for sharing this! It was a great starter/base recipe for my family. After some tweaking it is now perfect for us.
Janet Bickel says
Thanks for these great recipes. I’m going to show them to my nephew. He does most of the cooking for him and dad. He needs some help though. He cooks everything on high so the meats get over done. And little variety wouldn’t hurt either.
Rachelle says
This was delicious! I used ham and it was so good! It was just a little thin so next time I will make it with the broth only and add a little water if needed.
Sam says
It tastes delicious, but after 6 and a half hours on high the peas were still really hard in mine. I know that not all crockpots are calibrated the same, but an hour and a half longer than what is says in the recipe is a little weird and my crockpot has always followed recipe lengths pretty well. I got too impatient waiting for it to finish that I dumped it all into a pot and put in on the stove for about 45 minutes. It was probably my problem, and not anything to do with the recipe, but make sure to give yourself a lot of extra time when you make it.
Jeanne ODell says
I made this soup today for dinner and it turned out great! Having with baguette and a salad. Great soup for a fall day.
Stumpy says
Try using a smoked pork shank instead of ham or a hock. (large batch) I top mine with parmasian cheese and sour cream. Crumbled bacon works well too.
LINDA says
The most awesome way to serve split pes soup is after it is all mushy either in crockpot or oven, remove from heat source, add a can of EVAPORATED MILK. AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
LL says
This is my go to split pea soup recipe. It is so delicious and healthy! I made it again tonight, and after cooking for over 8 hours, the peas are still hard! Must be a bad batch of peas or something?? I don’t know if it’s salvageable. When my peas do what they’re supposed to do, and soften, this is an excellent recipe!
Kathleen says
My soup turned gelatinous when refrigerated and looks gross. I used normal Applegate bacon. Is this normal?
Corey says
Once you heat it back up Kathleen, if will look “normal” again 🙂
Shelby says
Im going to try this today. Ive never even thought to make split pea myself because it always sounds so complicated. Do I have to put the onion in? My family is not a fan of them. This recipe is worrying me because a lot of people are saying there peas are not softening. I hope mine do! My grandmother used to make excellent split pea! She would always use a ham bone which I do not have. She was an AMAZING cook! When she passed away all of her recipes were lost. ? So Im starting my own recipe notebook to pass down to my kids. My mom is at home sick with the flu and Instead of chicken noodle I’m going to try the split-pea. Her favorite! Fingers crossed. I’ll keep you posted.
Diane says
What is serving size to serve to 8?
Sue says
Made the split pea soup and my guy loves it so glad for your receipe. Made it exactly as receipe called for except omitted the bacon.
Walt says
Tastes great. I used diced andouille sausage instead of ham, and whisked in a little cornstarch to thicken it.
Kelli Cook says
Followed recipe to a tee and its soupy, not thick like it’s supposed to be. Very disappointed……I need a better recipe.
Dixie says
Is split peas are lentils??three colors?orange,yellow and green.
Ann says
I have this in my crockpot now. I am so excited to try it! No one I know had a crockpot recipe so I am anxious to see how this one works for my hubby and me!
Claire says
Assembled the recipe exactly as presented. Turned crock to low. Got up this morning and everything was cooked. Added a cup of chicken broth & stirred well. The peas & veggies began to break down very nicely & the soup started developing a creamier texture. Tried some. Peas a little chewy so turned crock on high. Will leave on HI all day while we are out. Pillsbury GRANDS frozen-to-oven hot biscuits will accompany soup when served. I try to make wonderful meals like this to help usher in the cooler weather here in Gilbert, AZ. Fantastic recipe !! Thanks Corey
Corey says
Oh I love your addition of the biscuits! YUM!
Cats says
I’m prepping the ingredients for tomorrow am dump and go, but I’m wondering if I can double this recipe — will it still fit in my 6qt crock pot?
Corey says
I would suggest 1 and 1/2 of the recipe. Doubling might be too full?
CatS says
The Crock pot was 9/10 full but it was totally fine! I used the potato masher since I don’t have an immersion blender, but it still turned out great. Thanks for helping me find a recipe to add to my collection!
Janell says
Great basic recipe! Needed a bit more flavor so I added 3T liquid smoke, salt & pepper. Also love melted butter on top when I serve it!
May says
It’s amazing. So little effort, for such a hard and flavorful meal. It’s a great choice for people on a budget or want leftovers too, because it makes 7-8 servings.
Susan Quesada says
Can this soup be done in an Instant Pot?
Amy says
I would Like to know as well! It would be awesome to do it in the IP.
Sjm says
We just ate this tonight for dinner. THE BEST split pea soup recipe EVER. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe!
Kristine says
Easy and good. I just made this again this morning. Takes 15 minutes for me to prep. I use pre chopped onions (the whole pack of onion) and carrots to save me time. I double the recipe so we have lots of leftovers. Our schedules are crazy right now. I use 1 pack of regular bacon. I also use the immersion blender before I serve.
Kim says
How long do you cook on high if using frozen chicken?
Nancy says
I love pea soup. This is the best recipe I have found. Plus, I get to do it in my crockpot. Thank you for this recipe.
Leah says
I have ham that is already cooked that’s leftover from Thanksgiving. It’s in the freezer now and I want to freeze this recipe so I can use after I deliver my baby. I see that the bacon is uncooked, is it okay that my ham would already be cooked? How would I do a freezer meal for this?
Nancy says
This is the best pea soup recipe I have found. Absolutely delicious and using the crockpot makes it even better.