Pea and Ham Soup in a Soup Maker

Pea and ham soup is a hearty, savoury soup made with dried split peas, vegetables and cooked ham. A soup maker handles the gentle simmer and blending in one jug, while a little ham added after blending keeps some satisfying pieces in every bowl.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped, about 1 cup (150 g)
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced, about ¾ cup (100 g)
1 celery stalk, diced, about ½ cup (50 g)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup (200 g) dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried thyme
1½ cups (225 g) cooked ham, diced, divided
¼ teaspoon (1.5 g) freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
Salt, as needed
1–2 tablespoons (15–30 ml) water or extra stock, if needed to thin

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables and peas. Chop the onion, carrot and celery into small pieces so they cook evenly. Rinse the split peas in a sieve and discard any stones or damaged peas. Split peas do not usually need soaking; rinsing is enough for this recipe.
Check your soup maker’s capacity. Add the oil, onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rinsed peas, stock, bay leaf, thyme, pepper and 1 cup (150 g) of the diced ham to the jug. Keep the liquid and solid ingredients within the maker’s minimum and maximum fill lines. If your model has a sauté function, you can soften the vegetables in the oil for 3–5 minutes first, but it is optional.
Cook the soup. Close the lid and select the smooth soup setting, or the setting recommended for dried pulses by your appliance manual. A typical cycle takes about 60–70 minutes. Do not open the lid during a hot cycle unless your manufacturer’s instructions specifically allow it. The peas should be completely tender when the cycle ends.
Remove the bay leaf and check the texture. Carefully open the lid, watching for hot steam, and take out the bay leaf. If the soup maker has not blended the soup fully, use its blend function in short bursts according to the manual. Never transfer hot soup to a blender unless it is designed for hot liquids; follow its filling and venting instructions.
Finish with the remaining ham. Stir in the reserved ½ cup (75 g) ham. If the soup is thicker than you like, add water or stock a tablespoon (15 ml) at a time. Taste before adding salt, since ham and stock can already be salty. If using leftover ham, reheat the finished soup until it reaches 165°F (74°C); check the centre with a food thermometer, in line with USDA FSIS leftover guidance.
Serve hot. Divide into bowls and finish with black pepper. The soup will thicken as it stands, so keep a little warm stock nearby if you want to loosen it at the table.

Tips

Check the appliance instructions first. Soup makers vary in capacity and in how they handle pulses. Use the dried-pulse or smooth-soup programme specified by your model, and never exceed its fill marks. If your manual does not allow dried legumes, cook the peas separately until tender and use the maker only for blending.
Use cooked ham. This recipe assumes the ham is already cooked, such as a leftover ham joint or a thick-cut piece from the deli. If you have raw pork instead, cook it separately to 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest for a whole cut, or 160°F (71°C) for ground pork, checking with a food thermometer; then dice and add it to the soup.
Season at the end. Salt levels vary widely between ham and stock. Taste after blending, then add salt gradually. Low-sodium stock gives you more control.
Choose the right peas. Green split peas give the soup a mild, earthy flavour and green colour; yellow split peas work too, with a slightly sweeter, paler result. Whole dried peas take longer to soften and are not a direct swap in a short soup-maker cycle.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot with crusty bread, toast or a warm cheese scone for dipping. A small green salad or sliced apples make a fresh contrast to its dense, savoury flavour. For extra texture, top bowls with a few reserved ham pieces, chopped parsley, cracked black pepper or a spoonful of plain yogurt. If the soup has become very thick, stir in hot stock just before serving rather than adding cold liquid to the whole batch.

Variations

For a smokier taste, replace some or all of the cooked ham with diced cooked smoked ham; taste before salting, as it can be particularly salty. For a meat-free version, omit the ham and use vegetable stock, then add a teaspoon (5 ml) of smoked paprika for a gentle smoky note. This changes the classic ham flavour, so season carefully and consider topping the soup with toasted croutons or cooked mushrooms.

You can also add a small peeled potato, about ½ cup (75 g) diced, with the other ingredients for a thicker, creamier texture. Avoid adding cream before the soup-maker cycle unless your appliance manual permits it; stir a splash into individual bowls instead. If your machine has a chunky setting, use it for a less uniform texture, or blend only part of the soup and stir it back in.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in a covered, shallow container within 2 hours of cooking. Keep for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. For longer storage, freeze in meal-sized airtight containers for up to 3 months; leave room for expansion and thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The texture may be thicker after chilling or freezing, so add a little water or stock as it reheats.

Reheat only the portion you plan to eat, on the stovetop over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally until steaming throughout and 165°F (74°C) in the centre. Check with a food thermometer, following USDA FSIS guidance for leftovers. Do not reheat the same portion repeatedly. If reheating in a soup maker, use the appliance’s reheat function only if the manual says it is suitable for previously cooked soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to soak split peas before using a soup maker?
No. Dried split peas generally do not need soaking; rinse them and pick out any debris. Follow your appliance manual, since some soup makers are not designed to cook dried pulses.

Can I use frozen peas instead of dried split peas?
Not as a direct substitute in this recipe. Frozen peas cook much faster and do not create the same thick, earthy soup. Use a recipe designed for frozen peas, or cook dried split peas separately until tender before blending them with the other ingredients.

Why is my soup maker pea and ham soup still hard or grainy?
The peas may need more cooking, or the appliance may not be suitable for dried pulses. If the cycle has finished and the peas are not tender, do not serve the soup yet. Follow the manual’s guidance for an additional cooking cycle, or transfer the soup to a saucepan and simmer until tender, adding liquid as needed.

Can I put a ham bone in the soup maker?
Only if the manufacturer explicitly permits bones and the bone fits without exceeding the fill line; many soup makers are not designed for them. A safer option is to simmer the bone separately to make stock, strain it well, and use that stock in the soup.

Can I make this soup without blending it smooth?
Yes, if your machine offers a chunky programme, choose that setting and check that the peas are tender at the end. You can also blend only part of the finished soup and stir it back in for a thick, textured result.

How can I make the soup less salty?
Use low-sodium stock and unsalted cooked ham where possible, then season only after cooking. If the finished soup tastes too salty, dilute it with unsalted stock or water, or stir in a cooked, unsalted potato and blend again if your machine allows it.

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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