There’s something about cooler weather that makes me want to stay in my pajamas all day and cook—something I did just today 🙂 I made split pea soup, my mother in-law’s recipe, with dried green split peas and diced cooked ham. A perfect soup to serve at a Halloween dinner party or a St. Patrick’s Day feast.

Split Pea Soup Recipe
My mother in-law used both ham hocks and chopped ham in her recipe, and she did not use carrots. I prefer not to use the ham hocks.
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried green split peas
- 2 quarts water
- 1 cup celery diced (about 3 ribs)
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 carrot sliced (optional)
- 2 ham hocks optional
- 2 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 quarts water
Instructions
- Sort, rinse, and soak green peas in 2 quarts water for several hours. Drain peas and rinse well.
- In a large saucepot, add remaining ingredients and 1 1/2 quarts water. Bring to a simmer, and skim foam of the top of the soup as needed, until it stops (about 5 minutes). Cover, and simmer for about 45 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
I love chunky pea soup. I’ll eat the other kind but I like finding bits of meat and some texture.