Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup

Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup is an easy weeknight meal with a few simple preparation steps. Hearty and comforting, this soup practically demands a hunk of crusty bread. Leftovers freeze well for an even easier weeknight meal down the road.

NOTE: this recipe was made possible by a kind gift from Bob's Red Mill. All thoughts are my own.

Why a hot soup recipe in the middle of summer?

The fam just got back from a vacation in Florida (my weekly post was on vacation too!). We had a fantastic time, but when we got home we were completely vacationed out. All we wanted was good, wholesome, home-cooked food. So, the first thing I did was to thaw a freezer container full of Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup that I made a couple of months back.

Sure, the timing seems odd for the US since we're in the middle of summer. But Phil and I are strange that way: if you check my Instagram feed, you'll see that we eat piping hot soups all summer long!

Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup: a riff on a master technique that will make your life easier.

Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup is one of several soups that start out with beans, grains, or legumes. These go into the slow-cooker with aromatics, broth, herbs, spices, and other good stuff. Then it's low-and-slow for 8 hours: you'll have a delicious meal waiting when you get home from your busy workday.

Other Flipped-Out Food riffs on the "legumes in the crockpot" master technique

For example, my Salsiccie e Fagioli—essentially Italy's answer to pork and beans—features navy beans and Italian sausages. Or, Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup with Avocado Crema gives you a Mexican spin on the master technique. Slow-Cooker Ham and Navy Bean Soup is another of our favorites, great made with leftover Easter ham. Soul-Warming Barley Chicken & Vegetable Soup is yet another example, which uses barley in place of beans.

So, you can see that once you have mastered the basic technique with my crockpot ham split-pea soup recipe, you can riff on it endlessly by just tweaking the ingredients slightly.

Bob's Red Mill: my favorite source of pantry staples

I have had a foodie crush on B'sRM for years because of its company history, which started out with a loving couple—Bob and Charlee—who wanted to provide wholesome food for their family. That spark gave rise to an employee-owned company that puts out awesome unprocessed product, with organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free lines available.

I always have my pantry stocked with split peas, dal, barley, beans, and more so that I can pull off a fantastic "pantry raid" meal. For more on that, check out Easy Pantry Meals – Living Out of Your Pantry (and refrigerator and freezer).

Making Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup

Building flavor

Although you can almost literally dump everything into the slow-cooker and go with this split-pea soup recipe, I'm a huge fan of spending a short amount of time to build flavor into the soup on the front end. This involves sautéing aromatics until soft, adding some tomato paste and fish sauce (this is for salt and umami—you won't taste fish!), and finally deglazing with either broth or wine.

I sometimes do all of this the night before and simply store the mixture in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Then it's a simple matter of prepping the split peas the next morning (washing and picking through to remove any rocks) and adding everything to the slow-cooker.

Ham bone; odds and ends

If you happen to have a leftover ham bone, it will do wonders for the flavors of your Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup. Ham hocks are another option. I also love to throw in a section of rind from a Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese.

Consistency

The split peas in this ham and split pea soup will break down during the long slow cook. This gives the soup a wonderful, thick consistency. (If you prefer your soup thinner, you can always add a cup or so of additional broth until it's just right.)

Finishing touches

I add leftover cubed ham to the split pea soup only for about the final 15 minutes before serving—just enough to warm it through. F

inally, it's time to dish up the soup. I remove the rosemary stem, the ham bone, bay leaves, and cheese rind (if I can find it, that is). Then I sprinkle each bowl with parsley and grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese.

This crockpot ham split-pea soup loves a hunk of crusty bread for mopping up every last delicious drop.

I am by no means an expert in wine pairings, but I love a nice Pinot Grigio with this soup (I usually drink the same wine I use in the deglazing step). I hope that Crockpot Ham Split-Pea Soup becomes a go-to in your family!

—xoxo Michelle

P.S. If you need more inspiration for cooking with leftovers, check out Using up Leftovers!

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