The rosemary adds a distinctive flavor to this wonderful soup.
Because I am vegetarian, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and a dash of smoke flavoring for the bacon. This was a delicious soup, and fairly quick to make, too.
Read MoreMy husband and I absolutely did not like this soup, even though we are big fans of peas. I could not get the split peas to soften even after increasing their cooking time quite a bit. I ended up throwing out the leftovers.
Read MoreBecause I am vegetarian, I substituted vegetable broth for the chicken broth, and a dash of smoke flavoring for the bacon. This was a delicious soup, and fairly quick to make, too.
Excellent! Instead of bacon I used a leftover ham bone from Thanksgiving. I threw it all in a crockpot, cooked it all day, and then puréed it in the blender. Be very careful how much salt you add as the ham should have most of what you need. Save the salting for last. If you do oversalt, simply mix in small amounts of heavy cream after you purée.
This recipe got rave reviews from a bunch of my friends who claim to not even like split pea soup. My adjustments were: I dumped everything in a crockpot. No pre-sauteeing, wanted to see how easy I could make it. My other adjustments were similar to other peoples (bouillon instead of broth, no leeks, dried rosemary.) I saw multiple people mention needing to puree this; if you leave it all day in a crock pot this isn't necessary. I also added some green beans, which was a nice touch. All day in a crock pot was fine for the carrots and green beans.
I am not one to use any one recipe over and over again as I believe there may always be a better recipe out there somewhere. This recipe is one of the few exceptions for me. As I eat very little meat, I leave out the bacon, but I don't feel that it really detracts from the soup overall. Good stuff. Thanks.
This soup was easy to make and very tasty. In the future I will go with the low sodium broth and probably sub in some water for some of the broth. I used dried rosemary instead of fresh since I have quite a bit of it in my cupboards. Also I used turkey bacon instead of regular bacon to cut down on some of the calories and fat. The turkey bacon provided a very nice flavor. I prepped the first part of the ingredients in my cast iron skillet, while heating the broth in my crockpot on high. Once my veggies were softened I transferred the peas and the veggies into the crockpot on high for about an hour and then I turned it down on low to allow it to simmer. This approach might work for someone who doesn't have a lot of free time or works all day and would like to have the soup ready for dinner. Just do the prep work and soften the veggies on the stove top and allow the soup to cook all day on low (I kept it on high because I wanted to see how it would turn out).
I love this simple, satisfying soup. I use pepper bacon for a nice kick, and add lots of fresh ground pepper to the broth. I use two 32oz boxes of low sodium chicken broth for a nice balanced consistency.
Very tasty, but out of necessity I made a few changes. I didn't have bacon so I threw a pork chop in, substituted my green onions for the small onion, and used the vegetable broth that I already had. Even after making all these changes and measuring like a bachelor, the soup was fantabulous.
This is wonderful soup. I'm a big soup person and this was exactly what I wanted. I have only ever had pea & ham soup. The bacon was very nice. Will def. make this again.
What a nice soup! It was easy to make and just right for a Sunday night supper. I didn't want to buy a whole package of leeks to use just one, so I left that out. Also, I used 2 cans of broth and 2 cans of water and then sprinkled in a little chicken bullion. Thanks for the recipe!
WOW! This soup is de-li-cious! The rosemary makes it great and I liked using bacon instead of ham. Also, all the veggies made the soup so different from other split pea soups. I will make this one again, and again, and again!!!!
This is SO GOOD! I cooked the bacon and then reserved it, because I hate rubbery bacon. Followed the directions with the exception that I didn't measure the rosermary, just eyeballed it (and was generous). After the one hour of simmering, the consistency was soft but with texture-very nice. I added the bacon back in and just gave a few bursts of my immersion blender to help chop the bacon and blend a tiny bit of peas. This soup was a hit with my kids and boyfriend, and I will make it a regular in my soup rotation. It's AMAZING!
This was very, very good! I wasn't sure about adding rosemary to pea soup but am glad I did! It gave the soup a subtle flavor that was different from all other pea soups I have had. I did not have bacon but had a leftover ham bone which I used instead. Also used an onion instead of a leek. Though I subbed out 2 ingredients it was the rosemary that "made" this soup! Threw it all in the slow cooker for several hours - awesome on a chilly Wyoming evening (even if it WAS the middle of May! :)
This was a decent split pea soup, but I've tried other recipes that I thought were better.
LOVED this soup. I used already cooked bacon, dried rosemary (1/4 tsp) and omitted the leek. I dumped everything in the crock pot for about 6 hours - 5 on low and the last on high. And it's excellent. So great because I never have a ham bone but I always have bacon on hand.
I loved this soup. I made this last night for my sick boyfriend who was craving split pea soup. He loved it, as did I! I added extra garlic. Rosemary and bay leaves give it that extra flavor. YUM! Even if you don't think you or your family like split pea soup, I'd try this anyway because it is GOOD!
This split pea soup was absolutely fantastic! The flavors compliment each other beautifully. I froze most of what was left in small portions to bring with me to work and now find myself craving it frequently. My only changes were to increase the bacon, putting in a full 12 oz. rather than just six slices. While the bacon was cooking, I also sprinkled in a small amount of liquid smoke, for extra flavor. I also ended up simmering the soup for approximately two hours, giving the peas a lot of time to really become mushy and start to fall apart, becoming a part of the broth. Yummy!
Recipe should state that it calls for dried split peas. Not knowing the difference, I made this recipe with canned peas because I couldn't find split peas at our local store.
Love this recipe. Tastes very fresh and I was happy to make it on my own rather than running out to buy it at some restaurant. We are trying to eat home-made all the time now, so I can control the ingredients and be healthier. One thing, I would suggest simmering two to three hours for the peas to break down but if you like them al dente it tastes good after just an hour.
I like split pea soup but sometimes I'm disappointed by how bland it is. The idea to add rosemary is fantastic to get a really nice flavor. I diced ham and browned it with rosemary and pepper before putting in into the soup. The house smelled divine afterward. One other thing - I used more carrots (3-4) and found that they made the soup rather sweet, so I had to salt a bit more at the end and add some more rosemary to balance it out. I also added a potato towards the end since the slow cooker kept all the moisture in and it was a little watery. Overall, it was delicious. Thanks for the rosemary tip!
Excellent, no-hassle soup. I didn't have leeks or carrots and thus left them out, and it was still delicious. I only added a leaf or two of fresh sage and a sprinkle of fresh thyme. My split peas took about 1.5 hours to cook, and I simmered a further hour or so on very low heat to let the flavors develop. It was even better reheated on the following day.
I love this recipe and have made it several times. I never add any leeks when I make it, I use dried rosemary instead of fresh, and dice lean ham instead of using bacon, and it still tastes great. I make it in my crock pot on high for 4 hours, adding carrots and potatoes towards the end so they don't overcook. This is a low-fat recipe with lots of fiber, so I feel good when I eat it.
This was an easy recipe and my daughter who will not eat peas or leeks gobbled it up. The measurements of each ingred. was perfect and very flavorful.
Made this soup on a cloudy, cool, rainy day in Southwest Florida. Yes, Florida. I added a smoked ham hock and some jalepeno hot sauce, as well as some cooking sherry, about a quarter cup, and about a half teaspoon of ground cloves. I let the soup simmer all day, which softened the carrots, onions, and the split peas. I used a potato masher to mash some of the peas in the pot at the end of the cooking time rather than pureeing them. The aroma of this soup cooking, wafting throughout the entire house, was wonderful. And so was the soup. I served the soup with warm, buttered rolls. Yum. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing.
I used maple bacon and it turned out really good. I had to add a fair amount of salt and pepper at the end.
Used celery instead of leeks and boullion cubes instead of broth.
Healthy version, no bacon, replace w/2T's olive oil, used 4 cubes of low-sodium organic vegetable broth (found at Whole Foods) in the 42 oz. of water. Love the Rosemary flavor in this soup, I double the carrots. Also like to double recipe b/c it freezes well. My husband loves this soup! Thanks for great recipe.
Rosemary is my new favorite so I thought I would give this a try. Glad I did. I had never had pea soup before and I was plesantly surprised with how good it was. I did not have bacon...didn't know I was out so I used a bit of turkey kielbasa. The results were fantastic. My husband couldn't wait to take the leftovers for lunch. Even the kids liked it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Mmm Mmm good. I subbed turkey sausage for the bacon, used two carrots instead of one, and nixed the leek. I also used half chicken broth and half water. This is one of the best split pea soups I have made.
This is excellent! I just slow cooked everything and it turned out perfect. For presentation and taste I also added a swirl of creme fraische and a sprig of rosemary on the top. This was delish and perfect for a cold rainy winter day!
A very simple and delicious recipe. My only change was to omit the bacon as I wanted to use up some ham in this. Thank you for a great recipe.
My husband and I absolutely did not like this soup, even though we are big fans of peas. I could not get the split peas to soften even after increasing their cooking time quite a bit. I ended up throwing out the leftovers.
I have made split pea soup before, but was looking for a less thick version with more vegetables. I used a ham bone for meat, vegetable stock for chicken and the herbs you recommend. Added a taste of bacon bits too. Suggestion for those who want tender peas in and hour to hour and a half - soak your split peas over night or for about 10 hours. They swell and soften and they cook faster that way. I too have problems with the 1 1/2 hours and hard peas (or beans). Soaking came from my grandmother and she was right.
This soup is fabulous. I made a bunch of changes out of necessity, since I wanted to try making it with what I had on hand. I used: a full 2 cups of split peas, and upped the liquid to 2 quarts. I omitted the leeks, celery and the bay leaves, because I didn't have any, so I added a large onion and about 2 cups of sliced carrots. I also increased the rosemary (dried) to a full tablespoon. The soup was slightly too thin for my taste, so as suggested by another reviewer, I made a butter roux and added that to the finished soup. It was FANTASTIC, no need to blend, it was perfect! My boyfriend and I both love this recipe, it's a keeper!
Fabulous soup as is, but I needed a kick. Added red pepper flakes with the veggies, fresh green peas just before the soup finished cooking; sprinkled chopped cilantro, serrano peppers for garnish; salt & pepper to taste.
Very nice flavours. I had to use a combination of green and red lentils because I couldn't find split peas in the shop so I guess what I got is a little different, but it works just fine. I love how uncomplicated this soup is with just a few basic ingredients. Easy on the wallet, and there is no need to spend ages chopping veggies. Good stuff.
My daughter and I made this tonight. We both LOVED it. And she was so proud of her creation. This was excellent! I did use another recipes suggestion on cutting down the soak time by simmering them for 2 minutes then letting them soak an hour. Turned out excellent!
Loved it. Took some others advise. Did add some frozen peas which was a good add. Also no leeks so used potatoes. Never made before & this was a keeper. Added a few spices here & there for a little flavor but that's just what I do to make it personal.
This soup is wonderful. I made it last week, and I'm making it again right now. Before this soup, I never tasted split pea soup before, so I was unsure if I would like it. The flavors are wonderful, though it looks sort of yucky. I added more bacon (about 10 slices) to use up what I had, a dash of liquid smoke, an extra onion and carrot, and celery.
This came out delicious! I was looking for a great recipe for my aunt who has cancer and I am so happy I found this. She can only eat pureed food and this was simply amazing. The flavors taste soooo good together, it's addicting. I did go with some of the reviews and used a low sodium chicken broth. The salt level was perfect, if anything it was seasoned just enough, and a little cracked pepper at the very end made even it more excellent, bringing out all the flavors. Thank you.
This soup was delicious! Mine came out salty because I used Better Than Boullion instead of regular chicken broth cause I was out - next time I will be sure to use the canned stuff. I also thought it could have used a bit more rosemary flavor - next time I might put in a whole Tablespoon instead of a teaspoon. It was fantastic and we will definitely be making this again!
This is so good! I'd never made split pea soup before and this was a hit with everyone I live with! I doubled the recipe and froze some of it and it thawed out well. Yum!
I've made this twice now and both times it turned out fantastic. It's a very forgiving recipe too-one time I didn't have leeks, rosemary, bacon or carrots so I just used extra onion, oregano and turkey sausage and it still turned out fantastic. The only problem I ran into was cook time-mine took over 2 and half hours to get to the consistency we like it at, but I also live at a high altitude which could be why it took so long to cook. Even if you don't think you like split pea soup you should give this a try.
I have to say I was very skeptical of this recipe being that the cooking time was so much shorter than I'm used to in the crock pot!. i was craving split pea soup, and it was much too late to use the crock pot, so I tried this one! I loved it! The peas turned out perfectly cooked, and the flavor was just as I hoped it would be. The consistency was perfect, not too watery or thick. I didn't have leeks or bacon, and I was leery of using garlic, since I didn't want an overly garlic flavor. It was perfect for me! Thanks!!
This was the first time making split pea soup and I followed this recipe word for word. Turned out really good!
This is the first time I've made split pea soup. Another reviewer remarked that it took a lot longer than 1hr 15 min to soften the peas. I agree, more like three hours. It could have had more rosemary. Just OK.
This was so easy! Our first time trying to cook split pea and it was awesome. I changed the recipe a bit. I used 5 cups of water because we didn't have chicken broth, and I doubled the garlic. I also added some celery. Delicious!!!
This soup is as good as they say! Only changes: my peas didn't soften until about 2 hours, and I added a butter roux to make it thicker. I also added lots of black pepper. But this is great with the rosemary and bacon flavors, definatly a repeat soup.
Great recipe, and quick for a weeknight meal, with some good bread and a salad. I didn't have fresh rosemary so I used dried at a ratio of one to three with dried being the smaller part of the ratio. It is quite salty, so low sodium chicken broth might be good, although no one in my family complained.
This soup is fantastic! I use low sodium broth and substitute ham for the bacon and it still turns out great! This soup also does really well in the crock pot, just throw everything together and set on high for 6-7 hours.
Love this recipe. I cook the peasand the bacon together until peas are soft. Then I purée them and then add the ham. Yum!
My wife loves this recipe, the next time I made this she had me cut the carrots larger and we brought this to friends for dinner.
I have made this recipe several times. It is easy and delicious. You don't have to follow the recipe exactly to get a good result. It is very forgiving! I usually double it so I can freeze some. I always put on the rosemary, but it does not seem to add much flavor that I can tell. I like the bacon. It sure beats a ham bone!
Personally, I thought that the rosemary did not compliment the soup much, and the whole thing could use some more flavor. But, we ate it, and that's what counts.
I made this yesterday and it is fabulous! I've never made split pea soup before, but I love rosemary so I wanted to give it a try. **2011** I still make this frequently in winter time. It is a great recipe-- tastes wonderful and is very filling.
Simmering pea soup "about one hour" is a laugh. It's done when it's done, and that depends on many factors. Mine is going on two and a half hours and the peas are not yet soft. Just the way it works.
This is really good. I love the idea of rosemary in my pea soup. However, this soup was VERY salty. Not sure if I did something wrong??? I would cut back on the bacon if you are not a fan of salty dishes.
This soup was wonderful!!!! I loved it, instead of bacon I used country ham and it was really good. I also had to let it simmer for 2 hours for the peas to soften up, other than that I didn't change anything. The rosemary added an excellent flavor, my husband loved it. I plan to make another batch tonight to freeze since I have some leeks and split peas left over.
It's easy to prepare, smells wonderful, and my husband absolutely loves it. I used dried rosemary, and served it with cornbread. Yummm.
This soup is the best split pea soup ever. It has a subtle sweetness and the rosemary is not too strong. I have substituted small ham cubes for the bacon at times. When I do, I put about 2 Tbsp. olive oil in the pot and add the ham along with the onion.
Love this recipe! Healthy and sooo good! I love the rosemary. A favorite soup recipe of mine
This is one of the best split pea recipes I have ever tried!! We love that it's so simple!!
i live in the colder climeates of the north an must say - This is a heart warmer ans so easy to prepare! The Rosemary is a very nice touch! Thanks!! Robin
I have done a variation of this soup...Mostly the same way. I didn't have any chicken broth so I used water & "Knorr" chicken bouillon, but the rest was all the same. I adore this soup!!! Soup of any kind really IS my comfort food. Thanks so much for the recipe. This time I tried someone else's suggestion of using liquid smoke...Interesting... Probably won't do that again. Also, my husband is the ham nut & I am the bacon nut, so...I add both. It's great!!
I had leftover ham from Easter in the freezer, so I used that instead of the bacon. I followed the recipe exactly after that, and it turned out beautifully. I have tried one other split pea soup recipe and this one tops it. I would make croutons to go with this next time. Yum!
Delicious, hearty soup that makes for great comfort food. I followed the suggestions of others, omitting the leek and using low sodium broth due to the salt level of the bacon. Dry rosemary works fine, though I would love to try it with fresh.
This was my first pea soup and I am about to make it for the second time. It turned out so delicious. I used ham instead of bacon and added extra carrots and extra broth to make up for the difference. It was so good! I don't normally eat leftovers and even I thought this was too good to pass up!
This soup is simple and fantastic. Love the rosemary and also added some diced ham. I blended about 1/4 when it was cooked just to make creamy.
This was outstanding split pea soup! It was also easy! I did not add the leek. I used ham istead of bacon, and I used dried rosemary instead of fresh. I did not cook the veggies before. I just threw everything in a big pot all at once and let it all simmer for an hour or more. I loved it.
I've tried other split pea recipes on this site, but this one is the keeper. 1) I didn't have a leek on hand. I added some fresh chives instead, and it still turned out well. 2) I didn't quite like how the texture of my bacon turned out (kindof rubbery). Be sure to cook it until it is very crispy, and slightly smaller pieces might work out better. 3)Whatever you do, don't sub the rosemary...it's wonderful!!!
This is very good and so easy!! I always used to think making soups was hard, I was definately wrong this was a breeze.
This soup was delicious; the first time around I used sausage instead of bacon as I had it on hand, but I will make with bacon tonight. It is hearty and healthy and easily adjustable for how thick or thin you want it. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I've already made this soup twice because I liked it so much! The only change was using stock cubes instead of liquid stock. Its such a great thick soup for these cold days! I don't even have any way I can think to improve it.
Did not have leek or carrot on hand (college apartment), but was still delicious! Used a ham-bone stock instead of the broth and bacon, and added bits of ham once the soup was done. Rosemary really adds a nice touch!
Wow, this was delicious. I didn't change much of anything, except for using a little more fresh rosemary, and adding some leftover Christmas ham. I also didn't have a leek, so I chopped up a bunch of scallions. Simply delicious -- thanks to Cathy H.
I made this in a crockpot with a few changes, I just used what I had on hand. I omitted the bacon and the leeks, used sodium free chicken bouillon in 6 cups of water and added several dashes of liquid smoke. I also used dried rosemary. Cooked for 8 hours and it was very tasty. Freezes beautifully.
This was great soup! I have always made it with ham bone and did not have one this time. But with such a cold day this soup just made the evening! Will make again for sure!
This is the best homemade split pea soup I've had--and it's so simple. It seems rosemary was made for this, because it blends in perfectly. It doesn't stand out the way it usually does in a dish, yet it adds a wonderful, distinctive flavor. I made it without the bacon, used veg broth, and pureed all but about a cup of the soup for a thicker, smoother texture. I can't wait to make this again.
To be fair, I don't have any split peas so I just instead, use 2 cups frozen peas. it was still awesome
This is an AWESOME recipe. My husband and kids LOVE it! The only thing I do differently is to add apx. 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream to thicken and make a little richer! AWESOME! Thanks Cathy!
This was fantastic. I'm not a fan of the overpowering flavor of bacon, so I rendered the fat of a little salt pork instead. I usually alter a recipe quite a bit while cooking. The salt pork was the sole modification of this recipe; it needs no tweeking. I may try adding a ham bone as others have suggested, but the soup is wonderful as is. Thanks for the recipe!
This is a great way to jazz up split pea soup. I use turkey bacon and leave out the leeks. This recipe also freezes well!
This was the best split pea soup I have ever made. My husband doesn't like pea soup and he had two helpings. I added chopped up ham.
We just finished the pot I made and wow! what a good time. My first time making soup and it turned out awesome! Thanks!
I used a crockpot! I had a huge hambone that I used instead of the bacon. I put in a box+3 cans of chx broth, 2 bags of dried split peas and a small bag of baby carrots whole. At about 5 hours the meat fell off the hambone with a little help. At the 6hr mark the peas had softened up and made the pea-green color soup that was delicious! Will become a winter staple in our home for sure! Thx!
The only thing I added was chopped celery and red pepper and I didn't use the leek. Otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly and my husband and I thought it was delicious. I will definitely make this again.
i really love this recipe! i wouldn't change anything about it, except that i will double the recipe next time! there was not enough to go around!! i do have to say that depending on the bacon used, it can be pretty salty, so adjust according to taste. thank you for sharing!
I left out the leek, used sandwich ham, and got MEGA compliments! I took some advice and used half broth and half water, and still needed to add salt. If you like peas, this is SOOOO GOOD!
Just love the flavor of rosemary in this soup! Since I am currently avoiding pork and red meat,I prepared this without the bacon. I kept everything else as written, just sauteed the veggies in a little olive oil first. I have made this several times since I discovered this recipe, a new family favorite!
