1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and celery for 3 minutes. Cook for an extra minute after adding the garlic.
2. Combine the water and chicken broth into the sauteed mixture on the stovetop.  Also pour in the split peas, thyme, and bay leaves, and thyme. Use a pinch of salt to season the mixture, then add pepper to taste also (it’s a good idea to wait until the end before adding more salt; this will help you to see the degree of saltiness the ham has imparted into the soup first, then add extra salt if necessary).
3. Place the ham bone in the soup. Boil the mixture, then lower to a gentle heat. Cover the soup and cook, turning occasionally, for 60 to 80 minutes, or until the peas and ham become soft.
4. Remove the ham from the broth and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes before shredding or dicing the meat component into pieces and covering it.
5. In the meantime, add the carrots to the soup. Cover the soup and let it keep cooking, make sure to stir periodically while this happens, and let the cooking last for another 30 minutes or until peas have more or less broken down.
6. Season with extra salt if necessary after adding the ham to the soup. If preferred, sprinkle with parsley and serve warm.

This recipe for split pea soup is a great way to use up split peas, adding extra flavor by introducing some ham into the mix. The results are delicious and flavorful, a healthy soup that you and your family can enjoy whenever you please.

The entire cooking duration for this recipe is 2 hours, with a prep time of 15 minutes and an active cook time of 1 hour and 45 minutes. If you’d like to see more ways to cook with split peas, then we recommend this video recipe for some great ideas.