Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham is a classic soup recipe, and this is a perfect way to use leftover holiday ham! And this version of split pea soup has a lot of ham (or sausage), so this recipe isn’t that big of a splurge on carbs!

Pin the Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup to try it later!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham shown in two serving bowls.

I’ve had a life-long love affair with split pea soup, even though I don’t remember my mother ever making it when I was a kid. Not only do I love the creamy flavor of split peas, but this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with ham is a perfect no-fuss meal to make during the holidays, and you can use leftover holiday ham if you have some!

And even though some people don’t like the looks of this type of soup, it’s a very budget-friendly dinner and having soup cooking all day and enjoying it on a cold winter night is a wonderful thing.

You can also use pre-cooked pork or turkey sausage in this slow cooker split pea soup recipe if you prefer. If you’re starting this in the morning to cook all day while you’re working you can 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!

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 am not an expert on gluten-free.)
  • onion
  • celery
  • carrots
  • fresh ground pepper to taste

What ham can you use for the 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 here.

What Sausage can you use in Split Pea Soup?

I’ve made this recipe with pre-cooked chicken sausage that I dice into bite-sized pieces and brown in a frying pan before I add 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 can you add flavor to the 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 to flavor the soup.

Why is this a lower-carb Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup?

I used only one cup of carrots for a pop of color and flavor, and this soup has lots of low-carb ham and celery making it a version of split pea soup with only about 16 net carbs per serving!

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.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup collage of recipe steps.

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.)

  1. Buy the 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.
  2. Add split peas, Low-Sodium Chicken Broth (affiliate link), water, spices, and bay leaves to slow cooker and start to cook on low.
  3. Dice up ham to make 2 cups (or a bit more), and add to the slow cooker.
  4. I also add the ham rinds and a ham bone if I have them. I also use a little Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link).
  5. Cut up one cup each of chopped carrots, celery, and onion and add to the soup.
  6. Let the soup cook 8 hours low (or you can cook about 4 hours on high.) 
  7. 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.
  8. Season with fresh-ground black pepper and enjoy!

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup shown in serving bowls.

More Tasty Budget-Friendly Crockpot Soups:

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 with ham shown in two serving bowls.
Yield: 6 servings

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes

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 packetsย Goya Ham Flavored Concentrateย (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

  1. Add split peas, Low-Sodium Chicken Broth, water, Spike Seasoning (if using) and bay leaves to the slow cooker, stir to combine, and start to cook on low.
  2. Dice up the ham to make 2 cups diced ham (or a bit more). Add ham to the slow cooker.
  3. I also add the ham rinds and a ham bone too if you have those. I love to add a couple of packets of Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate, but if you have ham rinds and a ham bone that might not be needed.
  4. Cut up one cup of chopped carrots, celery, and onion and add to the soup. Stir to combine ingredients.
  5. Let the soup cook 8 hours low, or a bit longer won't matter if you're not home. (Or you can cook about 4 hours on high.) 
  6. Check the consistency of the soup about 2/3 of the way through cooking time and add a little water if it seems too thick when the split peas have disintegrated.
  7. Season with fresh-ground black pepper and enjoy!
  8. This soup will keep at least a week in the refrigerator, and it also freezes well.

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.ย 

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1

Amount 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.

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Square image of Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup shown in two bowls.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Split peas aren’t especially low in carbs, but they do have fiber and this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup has a generous amount of ham and celery and not many carrots for about 16 net carbs per serving. 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 Kalynโ€™s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโ€™m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup recipe was posted in 2008. It was last updated with a lower-carb option in 2022 and updated again with a preference for using ham, more information, and better photos in 2024.

Pinterest image for Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup shown in two bowls.

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