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This simple split green pea soup recipe without ham has layers of flavor for a soup that’s as delicious as it is healthy. It’s loaded with vegetables and split peas are a good source of fiber and protein. And it’s naturally gluten free!
I grew up with this soup and have always loved it, even as a little girl. If you didn’t grow up eating classic split green pea soup, it might not be one of your favorites. I know it’s not the prettiest soup (its green color alone can be somewhat off-putting), but it sure is delicious! Not to mention, it’s absolutely loaded with nutrition.
If you’re looking for a split pea soup recipe without ham, give this a try. I don’t eat pork, but I still like the smoky flavor of bacon in this soup. Beef bacon (or turkey bacon) adds smokiness and works well as a crispy garnish. And it’s easy to make this vegetarian or vegan as well!
Because of its green color, this soup is a fun recipe to serve for Halloween or at a Harry Potter themed party. Harry Potter fans might remember the scene in the movie Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban where the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge offers Harry pea soup. (Of course Harry declined, heeding Dre Head’s warning about the pea soup eating people.) If you’re putting together a list of Harry Potter foods from the books and movies for a themed dinner menu and want to serve some kind of soup, this is a good option!
Why This Recipe is a Winner
- Budget-friendly. You might be surprised that each serving of this soup has 30 grams of protein! Here the only meat we add is half a pound of bacon, and you can omit it if you want to cut costs even more. This soup is full of vegetables and with a base of split peas (which are a good source of vegan protein), it’s a good economical option to help you stick to your grocery budget.
- Perfect for meal prep. This recipe makes 8 servings and this soup freezes and reheats beautifully! I like to freeze individual servings so I can defrost them when I need a quick meal.
- It’s as delicious as it is healthy. Loaded with nutrition, this soup also packs a ton of savory flavor! And if you’re like me and grew up eating it, it’s also very nostalgic.
What Are Split Peas?
Split peas are dried, peeled, and split pea seeds (scientific name Pisum sativum). If you’ve ever had fresh (or frozen) green peas, you probably know that they’re little spheres. During the process of making split peas, the peas are dried, their outer skin is removed, and finally they’re split in half at the seed’s cotyledon, which is a natural breaking point. (You can read more about split peas on Wikipedia.)
There are two varieties of split peas: yellow and green. Green split peas are sweeter than their yellow counterpart. Yellow split peas are frequently used to make a variety of dal (also spelled daal and dhal) recipes, and green split peas are commonly made into soups like this one.
Green Split Pea Soup Ingredients
Breaking It Down
Ingredients Explained
In this section I explain the ingredients and give substitution ideas where applicable. For the full recipe (including the ingredient amounts), see the recipe card below.
- Beef bacon – Split pea soup with a ham bone or ham hock is popular, but for those of us who don’t eat pork, beef bacon is a good substitute. Similar to ham, beef bacon adds salty flavor, as well as an underlying layer of smokiness. However, any kind of bacon will work here, or you can skip the bacon and add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika instead.
- Onion – Use a very large onion, about 2 1/2 cups diced. It lends delicious complex flavor and really pairs well with split green peas.
- Garlic – For flavor and aroma.
- Split green peas – The star of the show! Make sure to pick over the peas and remove any stones or debris. Then rinse them in a colander under cool running water. For this recipe, there’s no need to soak them!
- Chicken stock – Chicken stock adds great depth of flavor and richness to this soup. Any kind of broth or stock will work.
- Bay leaf – Bay leaves add depth to a slow-simmering soup. Don’t worry if you don’t have a bay leaf on hand, but use it if you do!
- Salt and black pepper – These pantry staple spices season the soup so it isn’t bland.
- Carrot, celery, and potato – This trio of vegetables is classic in split pea soup, and it’s what my mom always added to her recipe. Carrot adds earthy sweetness, celery’s grassiness mellows and plays off the sweet carrot, and potato bumps up the nutrition and makes this soup hearty. If you use Russet potatoes (or another type of potato with a thick skin), I recommend peeling them. However, if you use yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), the skin is thinner and you don’t have to peel them.
- Dried crushed marjoram leaves – If you can’t find dried crushed marjoram leaves, you can substitute with 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano + 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme. Alternatively, you can use 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh marjoram leaves. No matter what you use, add it at the end of cooking.
Split Pea Soup Secret Ingredient
Marjoram is the secret ingredient in this split pea soup recipe! It has a woodsy, citrusy, floral flavor with both sweet herbal flavor notes and a subtle sharp bitterness. It’s similar to both thyme and oregano, but it’s worth seeking out because it’s quite unique. Marjoram lends wonderful complexity to this soup.
How to Make This Split Pea Soup Recipe Without Ham
- Pick over the split peas and remove any stones or debris. Put them in a colander and rinse them under cool running water (no need to soak them).
- Add the bacon to a 5-quart pot over medium heat, and cook until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove 1/2 of the bacon to set aside for topping the soup. Leave half of the bacon and the drippings in the pot.
- Add the onion to the same pot with the remaining 1/2 of the bacon. Cook the onions until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the split peas, stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down, cover the pot, and simmer until the peas form a smooth soup, about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You can leave the soup with some texture if you like.)
- Add the carrots, celery, and potato; cover the pot, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the marjoram.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve with the reserved crisped bacon sprinkled on top.
Storage, Freezing, and Reheating
You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. After freezing, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. I like to freeze this soup in individual portions so I can defrost it when I need a quick lunch or dinner; it’s perfect for meal prep!
This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water to thin out this soup when reheating because it has the tendency to thicken naturally.
How to Make This Soup Vegetarian (Or Vegan)
You only need to make two easy changes to this recipe for vegetarian and vegan split pea soup:
- Omit the bacon. To add smoky flavor without meat, you can add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika if you like.
- Use vegetable stock (or vegetable broth) instead of chicken stock.
Expert Tips
- Whether you use dried or fresh marjoram, add it at the end of cooking. This helps preserve its flavor and aroma, which can break down when cooked for longer periods.
- If you want your soup even thicker, you can cook it a bit longer or mash or puree some of it (the potatoes in the soup will thicken it even more). If you want to mash some of it, use a potato masher and mash some of it right in the pot. To puree it, you can use an immersion blender. Or transfer a cup or two of the soup to a regular blender or food processor, puree until smooth, and then stir it back into the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t need to add flour, cornstarch, or any other thickening agent to make this soup thick.
If you like thick, creamy soups, one of the best things about split peas is that as they cook, they break down and naturally create a thick, hearty soup without the need for starchy thickeners. The trick is to add the right amount of water for the amount of split peas so that you don’t have to let the soup cook down for too long. Follow the amounts given in this recipe, and you’ll end up with a good thickness.
Another thing to be mindful of is that split pea soup will thicken more as it cools. When it’s done cooking, let it cool for 10 minutes so it’s not scalding hot. Stir it again, and see if it’s thick enough for you. If it’s not, you can either cook it a bit longer, or mash a bit of it with a potato masher right in the pot (because the potato in the soup will thicken it even more).
There’s good news and bad news.
The bad news is that yes, you can overcook split pea soup. The good news is that when it’s overcooked it’s still (usually) edible. The biggest changes you’ll notice in an overcooked split pea soup is that it’s likely very thick, and the green color may have turned a bit drab.
If your soup is too thick, you can simply thin it out with some water until it reaches a good consistency.
Like any soup, add layers of flavor as you go to make sure this isn’t bland. Don’t just dump everything in a pot and boil it and hope that it will be flavorful!
Let’s walk through the process of making this soup so we can pinpoint where the layers of flavor come in.
Here we start by crisping smoky beef bacon in the soup pot, and then leave some of it, and remove some of it to use as a garnish. The bacon left in the pot and the rendered bacon fat are the starting point for building a flavorful soup.
After that, we cook onion and garlic in the rendered fat from the beef bacon. This adds another layer of savory flavor and aroma.
Chicken stock adds richness, and as the soup cooks, the bay leaf releases its herbal flavor.
Don’t forget salt and pepper! They might be basic spices, but they’re necessary if you don’t want a bland soup. Salt is a natural flavor enhancer and pepper adds a slight piquancy.
The vegetables (carrot, celery, and potato) add more flavor as they cook.
The final flavor boost is marjoram! We add this herb at the end so it doesn’t lose its flavor nuances.
Lastly, be sure to taste this soup (or any soup!) before you serve it, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Sometimes I also like to add a splash of vinegar or fresh lemon juice to a slow-simmered soup to really wake up the flavor.
More Thick, Hearty Soup Recipes Without Cream
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Split Pea Soup Recipe Without Ham
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Ingredients
- 8 ounces beef bacon diced (or any bacon you like; see Notes for other bacon)
- 2 1/2 cups diced onion 1 very large onion
- 4 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups split green peas picked over and rinsed
- 8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/4 cups sliced carrot about 4 medium carrots
- 1 1/4 cups chopped celery about 4 medium stalks
- 1 pound potatoes scrubbed, peeled if desired, and chopped (see Notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed marjoram leaves
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a 5-quart pot over medium heat, and cook until crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove 1/2 of the bacon to set aside for topping the soup. Leave half of the bacon and the drippings in the pot.
- Add the onion to the same pot with the remaining 1/2 of the bacon. Cook the onions until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Add the split peas, stock, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down, cover the pot, and simmer until the peas form a smooth soup, about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. (You can leave the soup with some texture if you like.)
- Add the carrots, celery, and potato; cover the pot, turn heat up to high, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat down and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the marjoram.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve with the reserved crisped bacon sprinkled on top.
Notes
- Bacon: To use turkey bacon instead of beef bacon, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 8 slices of turkey bacon. To use pork bacon, you can keep the method the same as beef bacon.
- Potato: If you use Russet potatoes, I recommend peeling them because their skin is thicker and tougher than other types of potato skin. Two medium or one very large Russet potato is about 1 pound. If you use yellow potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), the skin is thinner and you don’t have to peel them. Three small to medium yellow potatoes are around 1 pound.
- To Make This Soup Even Thicker: Cook it a bit longer or mash or puree some of it (the potatoes in the soup will thicken it even more). If you want to mash some of it, use a potato masher and mash some of it right in the pot. To puree it, you can use an immersion blender. Or transfer a cup or two of the soup to a regular blender or food processor, puree until smooth, and then stir it back into the soup.
- Storage: You can store this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer up to 3 months. After freezing, thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. I like to freeze this soup in individual portions so I can defrost it when I need a quick lunch or dinner; it’s perfect for meal prep!
- Reheating:This soup reheats well in the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water to thin out this soup when reheating because it has the tendency to thicken naturally.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximate.
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This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on January 16, 2012 and updated on September 5, 2024. To show the evolution of my food photography, I kept one of the original photos below. (The photo below shows this soup made with turkey bacon.)
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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I love split pea soup. I have to admit though, seeing your cute mugs on foodgawker was my incentive to stop by!
Mmmmm…words can’t describe how fabulous that looks! I could go for a bowl!
The sniffles have been making their way through our house all week! This is definitely a sure cure!
xoxo,
Tammy (& Catherine)
Its summer here but I could scoff a bowl of that soup all the same.
I’m actually a huge fan of split pea soup. It is one of my favorites! This looks so tasty…I just wish we lived closer. Thank you for making me smile after a long day at work…sorry I haven’t stopped by sooner. I’ve been adjusting to my crazy-busy schedule. Hugs and love!
I don’t think I’ve had this soup before :) But this seems perfect for winter and I like how its so healthy~
I love the sound of this soup! I love split pea, but often get turned off because of the use of ham in it. Using turkey bacon is a great idea!
I grew up eating this soup & I loved it! And I still do :). Your looks delicious – comforting and warming.
Yum! Definitely one of my favorites that my mom and grandma would make. I have all the stuff to make it soon, but never used turkey bacon. Might have to try it this time! :)
believe it or not I have never cooked split pea! Need to do something with them soon :)
This is absolutely beautiful! Plus, you can’t go wrong with a delicious split pea soup. Love this!
Great soup Faith…perfect for the cold weather.
Have a great week :-)
I just made a big batch of split pea soup too! Nothing like it on a cold, winter day. A real comforting soup!
i honestly don’t know what use i have for split peas, other than soup. nice batch!
This soup sounds just perfect for lunch right now, beautiful presentation!
Have not made split pea soup for a while. Have all the ingredients, going to get cooking. Thanks for the reminder.
Mmm I actually really love split pea soup. I usually add smoked paprika or some liquid smoke to get that bacony flavor. Such good stuff, even if it is a weird shade of green!
Split pea soup is the best, I love it!! And yours looks so pretty I wish I could have some right now.
With so much cold here this soup is more than welcomed Faith! Looks very inviting!
We are on the same wavelength! I just made a big pot of the green stuff last week. Similar recipe, too! Yours is def prettier though, with the crispy turkey bacon on top! mmm
I love split pea soup. It’s one of my favorites, and I think yours looks and sounds wonderful. :)
it looks so comforting and delicious, specially since it has bacon on top :)
I have never actually made homemade split pea soup before, but this recipe looks too delicious not to try it!
I’ve never had split pea soup before but it sure looks good!
Yum! I love split pea soup and never eat it because it almost always is made with Pork (which I don’t eat). Love using the Turkey Bacon instead – bookmarking!!
Only you could make split pea look appetizing! It’s one of my favorite soups, without a doubt, but it is NOT pretty!! :)
This is one of my favorite soups and I haven’t made it for years, I’m pinning this one for- hopefully soon- dinner!
This is one of my favourite soups. The best after spending time outside on a cold day!
I never had split pea soup until about a year ago….and I did like it, but it’s not my fave. I think part of the reason is because my mom’s version is a little bland–she needs to add bacon! :-)
I know what you mean about split pea soup – every time I make it, I think of how gross it would look if I hadn’t grown up with it and didn’t know how amazing it is. I do love it though, and I make all different kids, sometimes vegan, or sometimes with meat, and yours sounds delicious :D
I love split pea soup and am also a BIG fan of mushy peas with lightly fried fish – have you had mushy peas?? SO yummy!!
Yum!
Well Faith, much as I know your recipes are the best, I am NOT going to make this! My parents, dearly as I loved them, asked me to make two soups for them the last 10 years of their lives…pea and barley. I made soup constantly all those years and if I never see pea or barley soup again it will be too soon. :) I know you’ll understand.
We make a vegan version in our household for Bill, but the authentic, Dutch way has that rich sweet smokiness from ham. You’ve made it look very attractive with the garnishes, Faith!
This is one of my favorites! My mom never made it when we were younger because she couldn’t do the green color…but I love it now! I make a veg version. Nom nom. Looks just perfect
Split pea soup has always been one of my favorites – ever since I was a kid. My mom would always make it when we had a ham bone. I think it’s a delicious soup and yours looks great!
A wonderful soup! I could eat that right now for dinner.
Cheers,
Rosa
I have some spit peas that need using will give this a try. Thanks Diane
I have some spit peas that need using will give this a try. Thanks Dciane