Split Pea Soup Recipe Without Ham

This easy split pea soup recipe without ham is hearty and rich, full of vegetables, and packs a ton of savory flavor for the ultimate cozy healthy comfort food.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword Easy Split Pea Soup, Green Pea Soup, Healthy Split Pea Soup, Homemade Split Pea Soup, Split Green Pea Soup, Split Pea Soup Recipe No Ham, Split Pea Soup Recipe Without Ham

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 30

Servings servings

Calories 464kcal

Author Faith Gorsky

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

US Customary - Metric

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