Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham is a classic soup recipe, and it’s a perfect way to use leftover holiday ham! And my version of split pea soup adds a lot of ham (or sausage), so this recipe isn’t so much of a splurge on carbs!
Pin the Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup to try it later!
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham is a perfect no-fuss meal to make during the holidays, and you can use sausage if you don’t have leftover ham! I’ve had a life-long love affair with split pea soup, even though I don’t remember my mother ever making it.
I love the creamy flavor of split peas, and even though some people don’t like the looks of this soup, it’s a very budget-friendly dinner. I think having soup cooking all day and enjoying it on a cold winter night is a wonderful thing.
If you’re starting this in the morning to cook all day while you’re at work, I’d do the chopping of the vegetables and ham (or sausage) the night before and keep them in the fridge overnight. Then throw everything in the slow cooker the next morning and turn it on and dinner will be handled!
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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- dried green split peas (affiliate link)
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (affiliate link)
- water
- Spike Seasoning (affiliate link), optional but recommended
- Bay Leaves (affiliate link)
- ham (or pre-cooked sausage)
- Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link), optional, but it does add a lot of flavor. (The package does not say Gluten-Free but I don’t see any ingredients that contain gluten. Check this yourself if you need to be certain; I’m not an expert on gluten-free.)
- onion
- celery
- carrots
- fresh ground pepper to taste
What ham can you use for Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup?
This recipe calls for two cups of diced ham and it’s a perfect recipe to make with those thick ham steaks you get at Costco. But any type of diced ham will be great.
What Sausage can you use in Split Pea Soup?
I’ve made this recipe with pre-cooked chicken sausage that I diced into bite-sized pieces and browned in a frying pan before I added it to the slow cooker. But any turkey or chicken sausage you like the flavor of will work for this recipe. Experiment with different sausage options and see which one you like best.
How to add flavor to Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup:
If you’re using leftover ham, be sure to add the ham bone if you have one. If you’re using ham that has a rind, put the trimmed-off pieces of ham rind into the soup as well. And I love to use Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link) when I’m making any type of soup with ham, especially if I don’t have a ham bone or ham rind.
Why is this a lower-carb Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup?
I used only one cup of carrots, and this soup has lots of low-carb ham and celery! That makes it a version of split pea soup with only 16.7 net carbs and 29 grams of protein per serving. If you want to reduce the carbs you can add even more ham and/or celery.
What size Slow Cooker did I use?
I used a programmable 4.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this soup, but any 4-5 quart slow cooker would work. If you only have a larger slow cooker, you can definitely double the recipe and this soup freezes well. Use Slow Cooker Recipes to see all the slow cooker options on my site.
How to Make Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Buy green split peas (affiliate link) at a store or website where the merchandise doesn’t stay on the shelves, because split peas that are old get dried out and take much longer to cook.
- Add split peas, Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (affiliate link), water, spices, and bay leaves to slow cooker and start to cook on low.
- Dice up ham to make 2 cups (or a bit more), and add to the slow cooker.
- I also add the ham rinds and a ham bone if I have them, plus a little Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link).
- Cut up one cup each of chopped carrots, celery, and onion and add to the soup.
- Let the soup cook 8 hours on low (or you can cook about 4 hours on high.)
- Check the soup part way through the cooking time if you’re home and add a little water if soup seems too thick after the split peas have disintegrated.
- Season the Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with fresh-ground black pepper and serve hot!
More Tasty Budget-Friendly Crockpot Soups:
- Slow Cooker Ground Turkey Soup
- Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Ham, Spinach, and Thyme
- Slow Cooker Greek Lentil Soup
Weekend Food Prep:
This recipe for Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham is a perfect way to use leftover holiday ham but make the soup with pre-cooked pork or turkey ham if you prefer! And this split pea soup has not many carrots and a lot of ham (or sausage), so this recipe isn't that big of a splurge on carbs!
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried green split peas (see notes)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see notes)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. Spike Seasoning (optional but recommended, see notes)
- 2 large bay leaves
- 2 cups diced ham (see notes)
- 2 packets Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate (optional, but it does add a lot of flavor)
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- fresh-ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
Notes
Two cups of dried split peas equals one pound. You can use two cans of low-sodium chicken broth and a little water.
I used a thick ham steak from Costco, which was exactly two cups of diced ham.
You can use any all-purpose seasoning blend if you don't have Spike Seasoning but I do love the flavor Spike adds in savory dishes.
Recipe created by Kalyn.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 259Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 57mgSodium 781mgCarbohydrates 24gFiber 7.3gSugar 5.8gProtein 29g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Split peas aren’t especially low in carbs, but they do have fiber. This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup has a generous amount of ham and celery and not many carrots for only 16.7 net carbs per serving. Use even more ham and celery to reduce the carbs. Since the soup includes carrots, it would be a phase two option for the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe was first posted in 2008, and I’ve made it regularly since then. It was updated with a lower-carb suggestions in 2022, and updated again with a preference for using ham, and better photos in 2024. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2025.
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26 Comments on “Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup”
I wish I would have paid more attention to the comments. I love salt but this was not edible. I had never used Goya Ham flavored concentrate before; I followed the recipe exactly as written and suspect that the Goya added excessive salt to the soup. I ended up throwing it all away. The plus is that it’s easy to make; if I make it again it will be without the Goya seasoning.
I’m sorry to hear it was too salty for you. Did you use low sodium chicken broth? Also I think some types of ham are more salty than others, but for sure the Goy Ham Seasoning is optional.
Hi Kaylin;
We are a “young 90 year-olds” but my wife is handicapped so I do all the cooking (also laundry/ironing/showering & washing her/shopping, & gardening) Also shopping therapy trips for her!
I enjoy the cooking, and my wife is very interested in your “slow cooker split pea soup” which looks great. I have a lot of soup recipes, but we do not have a “slow cooker” so please let me know how much cooking time when I just cook it on the stove top (or even in the oven) which most of my other recipes use.
Our son just gave me his left-over ham & bone from his Christmas Eve party which we all .enjoyed.
And have a Happy & Peaceful New Year
Many thanks,
John Sullivan’
Vancouver, Canada.
Happy New Year to you too. It sounds like you’re a very thoughtful husband!
I haven’t made this exact recipe on the stove but one of my other split pea soup recipes says thisL “Total cooking time will be about 2 hours, or slightly longer depending on how old the yellow split peas are and how soft you want them.” That recipe also mentions the possibility of needing to add some water part-way through the cooking time.
When making this soup with the dryer split peas do you have to soak the peas first?
No, split peas don’t need to be soaked! Hope you enjoy the soup.
Since I haven't tried it I can't tell you exactly when to add the barley. I don't think it would be done in an hour, and personally I'd probably add it about half way through the cooking time, but that's only a guess. I googled a few recipes and they all seem to add it right at the beginning.
Could you add barley to this? If yes, with the other ingredients or when their is a hour left to cook?
I loved this, Kalyn! I used half brown lentils and half split peas, I really enjoyed the combination. Thanks for another great, easy recipe.
Rhonda, so glad you liked it. I’m not surprised this would be a hard sell with a 3 year old! Good to know that kielbasa would work too.
This recipe is delicious! I made it last week with kielbasa rather than chicken sausage, which I couldn’t find.
My husband and 10 year old daughter liked it. The 3 year old wasn’t completely sold, but that’s ok. She helped dump ingredients in the crockpot and stir.
It was so yummy…just like grandma’s!
Hey Kalyn,
I just bought everything to make this sometime next week. I was surprised to find the Goya ham flavored concentrate at my Super Walmart. I can’t wait to make it.
Very beautiful soup, Kalyn. I’m not overly fond of split peas, but the rest of your ingredients are calling to me!
Wow. this soup looks yummy. Thanks for sharing
kalyn..the pressure cooker(thank’s for the name, I didn’t know what the name was in english.) is one of those must-have.
I use it very very often..
thank’s for the recipe..I love of all kinds of legumes!
thanks for passing by
have a nice week, and see you soon
bacioniii
This is perfect timing, I have never had split pea soup, and I’ve been wanting to try it.
I love split soup so you get no argument from me here.
It’s truly a meal.
Tanna, me too! I know there are some (misguided) people who don’t like it though.
Maria, I’m really going to try using mine more this winter.
Maris, it’s my very talented brother Rand who makes the headers. He’s a great designer.
This looks really great! I like chicken sausage in soups/stews/sauces.
I love your new header, also!
I have been in a soup mood lately!! I need to get out my slow cooker. I always forget about it!
No problem Kalyn, I love split pea soup! Now I really want to get back with my slow cooker!
Lydia, great idea to add some extra flavor with barbecue for those who don’t eat ham.
SusanV, I’m thinking this will be one of the first things I’ll try in my pressure cooker. I Love split pea soup of every type!
Susy, I like to make ham stock too. Only problem, I don’t buy ham that often.
Tamara, that sounds good.
Mmm, a yummy recipe and so cozy for a cold, rainy day. You could also gild the daisy (split peas really don’t qualify as lilies, so what?) with a dollop of sour cream sprinkled with smoked paprika…
Tamara at BuzzFood
Looks delicious. I make ham stock from holiday ham bones and then use that, or chicken stock. I’ll have to add split peas to my grocery list.
What a coincidence–I made split pea soup yesterday, in my pressure cooker, and took it to a potluck lunch where it disappeared in a matter of minutes. It really is an inexpensive dish, and using energy saving appliances like the crockpot of pressure cooker make it even more frugal. I’m glad to hear that you’re adding a special section just for these recipes!
In place of the ham concentrate, I’ll use a few plops of smoky barbecue sauce. Gives the same flavor, and a bit of thickness, for those of us who are not ham people. Thanks for the encouragement to get out my slow cooker!