Light Pea and Ham Soup

Pea and ham soup is a deeply savoury, old-fashioned bowl with enduring everyday appeal: economical, filling and built on the natural thickness of softened split peas. In this lighter version, a smoked ham hock gently seasons the stock as it cooks, giving the soup a rounded smokiness without needing heavy additions. Onion, carrot and celery add sweetness and body, while blending only part of the pot keeps the texture creamy but not completely smooth. The shredded ham stirred back through at the end makes it satisfying enough for lunch or a simple supper, especially with bread on the side.
Recipe by JustRecipes Editorial Team
Content validated: August 2026 How we create recipes
Made this recipe? Rate it
Cuisine style British home cooking
Cooking style One-pot cooking • Make-ahead friendly • Freezer-friendly
Time commitment Slow-cooked

Why this recipe works

  • Gentle smoky depth: The ham hock seasons the soup as it simmers, giving the split peas and vegetables a savoury, smoky base.
  • Creamy without cream: Blending only part of the soup thickens it naturally while keeping some texture from the peas and vegetables.
  • Keeps and reheats well: Split pea soups thicken as they stand, making this a practical option for preparing ahead and loosening with extra stock when reheating.

Get the most out of this recipe

Timing notes

  • Cook until the peas collapse: The soup is ready when the split peas are very tender and the ham is beginning to pull away from the bone; timing may vary slightly with the age of the peas.
  • Mostly hands-off: The chopping is brief, but the soup needs a long, gentle simmer to soften the peas and draw flavour from the ham hock.

Texture tips

  • For a thicker soup: Blend closer to half the pot, then simmer briefly to bring the texture together.
  • For a lighter finish: Add a little more stock when reheating or after blending, as split peas continue to absorb liquid as they stand.

Ingredient notes

  • Use a bone-in ham hock: A smoked, bone-in hock gives the soup its characteristic savoury flavour and provides shreddable meat for the finished bowl.
  • Check seasoning at the end: Ham hocks can vary in saltiness, so finish with black pepper and adjust any extra seasoning only after the ham has been stirred back in.

Make-ahead tips

  • Good for batch cooking: Cool the soup quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container; it will keep well for a few days and can also be frozen.
  • Reheat gently: Warm on the hob until piping hot throughout, adding a splash of stock if the soup has thickened in the fridge or freezer.

Equipment you'll need

Immersion blender Large pot
Ingredients
Instructions
Print
  1. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel the carrots and dice them, then dice the celery.
  2. Rinse the split peas in a sieve-strainer under cold water until the water runs clearer. Tip them into a large pot with the ham hock, bay leaves and vegetable stock.
  3. Bring to a gentle simmer, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook partially covered for 75 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very tender and the ham is starting to pull away from the bone.
  4. Lift out the ham hock and set it on a board until cool enough to handle. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  5. Blend about a third to a half of the soup until creamy, keeping some texture. If it seems too thick, loosen with a splash of vegetable stock and return to a gentle simmer.
  6. Shred the ham, discarding skin, fat and bone, then stir the meat back into the pot. Season with black pepper, simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, then serve hot.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.

Recipe notes

Tips

  • Keep the simmer gentle so the soup stays light and the ham remains tender rather than stringy.
  • If you are serving vulnerable groups, make sure the soup is piping hot throughout before serving.

Substitutions

  • Replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock for a fuller, more traditional flavour.

Storage

  • Refrigerate up to 3 days
  • Cool quickly, then refrigerate in a sealed container. Reheat gently on the hob, adding a little vegetable stock if it has thickened, until piping hot; freeze for up to 3 months.

Ratings & reviews

Liked this recipe? Share your feedback to support our cooking community.

Tried this recipe?

Choose 1–5 stars. A comment is optional.

If you leave a comment, use 10–500 characters.

Stay inspired

Discover new recipes, seasonal favourites and cooking inspiration every day. Follow JustRecipes on Pinterest and Spillt.

Pinterest
Light Pea and Ham Soup
Image by JustRecipes
Pinterest

Recipe overview

  • Servings: 4 servings
  • Total time: 2h (20min active)
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Cuisine: British
Beginner friendly One pot Freezer friendly Kid friendly
Pinterest Signal WhatsApp

Plan your meals and get a complete grocery list automatically.

Add to meal planner

Equipment you'll need

Immersion blender Large pot

Got ingredients left?

Find recipes using ingredients from this recipe or what you already have at home.

Find recipes with these ingredients →

More variations

View all

More from this course

View all

Cook with these ingredients

Black pepper

1 cup ≈ 110.4 g
Convert ingredient→

Split peas

1 cup ≈ 200 g
Convert ingredient→

Vegetable stock

1 cup ≈ 240 ml
Convert ingredient→

More with similar ingredients

View all

You might also like

Browse alphabetically

Looking for a specific recipe? Choose a letter below to jump directly to recipes starting with that letter or number.

Explore the Recipe Index

Enjoy cooking with JustRecipes?

Add JustRecipes as one of your preferred Google sources to discover our recipes more easily across Google Search.

Add JustRecipes to Google

Every recipe on JustRecipes follows the same structured editorial process. Learn how recipes are created, validated, translated, illustrated, and continuously improved across the platform. How we create recipes.