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Thick green split pea soup with chunks of pink ham, diced orange carrot, pale celery, and onion.

Slow Cooker Split Pea and Ham Soup

Thick, hearty split pea and ham soup made in the slow cooker with dried peas, a ham hock, onion, carrot, and celery. Ready in 10 minutes of prep for 6 servings.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 hours
Total Time 10 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Irish
Calories: 510
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried split peas 500 g
  • 2.4–3 lb ham hock (aka ham bone), bacon hock, or meaty leftover ham bone 1.2–1.5 kg
  • 1/4 tsp salt start with less, adjust later
  • 3/4 tsp black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 celery sticks finely chopped
  • 8 cups water 2 liters/quarts
  • Parsley finely chopped
  • Crusty bread for dunking

Method
 

  1. Put peas into slow cooker, press ham down into them. Sprinkle all ingredients around ham bone, then pour water over.
  2. Cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours or on HIGH for 6 hours. (Alternatively, 2.5 hours on low on stove, 1 h - 1 hr 20 min in pressure cooker/Instant Pot on HIGH)
  3. Take out ham bone, shred ham meat. Throw away bone and fatty skin.
  4. Discard bay leaves. Use stick blender to pulse 2 or 3 times - thickens soup but doesn't make it completely smooth (my preference, you can blend completely if you want).
  5. Put ham back into slow cooker, stir. Taste and add more salt if needed (soup gets lots of salt from ham).
  6. Serve garnished with parsley. Serve with crusty bread for dunking - make a quick Irish Soda Bread, Garlic Bread or upgrade to Cheesy Garlic Bread!