Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Hock

Steps

1. Step 1

   Melt the butter in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.

   8 min

   • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
   • 1 yellow onion
   • 3 carrots
   • 3 celery stalks
2. Step 2

   Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1 min

   • 3 cloves garlic
3. Step 3

   Add the split peas, ham hock, bay leaves, thyme, water and broth. Stir, then bring to a boil over high heat.

   10 min

   • 1 lb green split peas
   • 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 to 1 1/2 lb)
   • 2 bay leaves
   • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
   • 8 cups water
   • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4. Step 4

   Lower the heat so the soup barely bubbles, cover partly with the lid, and simmer until the peas have fallen apart and the soup is thick and silky, 1 1/2 hours. Stir every 20 minutes or so, scraping the bottom so nothing sticks; add a splash of water if it gets thicker than you like.

   1 hr 30 min, hands-off

5. Step 5

   Lift out the ham hock onto a plate and let it cool for about 10 minutes. Fish out and discard the bay leaves.

   10 min, hands-off

6. Step 6

   Pull the meat off the hock, discarding the skin, fat and bone. Chop or shred the meat into bite-size pieces and stir it back into the soup.

   5 min

7. Step 7

   Season with the black pepper and salt to taste (the hock is salty, so taste first). Stir in the cider vinegar if using — it brightens the whole pot. Warm through and serve.

   3 min

   • salt
   • 1/2 tsp black pepper
   • 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Where it’s from

Written by AI from an idea

Version 1, saved Oct 4, 2026