Delicious and hearty, this Quebec-Style Yellow Split Pea Soup cooks low and slow with vegetables and a ham hock, for a filling soup that's perfect for lunch or dinner.
Fall's cooler weather has definitely arrived here , so I'll be embracing soup season, starting with this Quebec Style Split Pea Soup. This classic French-Canadian soup is warming and hearty and the perfect thing for cooler days.
This soup features split yellow peas, together with vegetables and spices and a ham hock or bone. The long simmer infuses such great flavour in the soup. This is a great soup to enjoy throughout the year, but is especially handy as as use for your left-over Christmas or Easter ham bone.
This pea soup is definitely hearty enough for a dinner soup, especially with the bits of ham in it. Serve with a salad and a crusty bread and you're all set. If you're a fan of Habitant™ soup, you'll love this one!
Ingredients
Ham Hock: Many grocery stores carry frozen ham hocks now, so be sure to look in the frozen meat section for ham hocks if you can't find fresh! I prefer a fresh ham hock, as you will get just pure pork flavouring in the soup. If you love smoked flavours, you can use a smoked ham hock.
Dried Yellow Split Peas: Look for these in the dried pea and bean section at your grocery store. Even though these peas are dried, you don't want to start with a package that's been in your cupboard for a long time, as even dried things can dry out more and become less than ideal. I always buy a fresh package from the store. Prepare your dried peas by rinsing well in a colander under cold running water, then picking through the peas and discarding any odd looking ones.
Chicken Broth: I try to use a low-sodium chicken broth for this soup and add salt myself at the end of cooking. Many people feel that extra salt in the simmering liquid will hinder the beans from cooking. For a vegetarian option, replace the chicken broth with vegetable stock. Alternately, you can skip the broth altogether and just use the same quantity of more water. I prefer the extra flavour from the broth, personally.
Additional Ingredients: Carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, dried savory (spice), dried thyme, water, salt and pepper.
FAQ
What makes this soup "Quebec Style"? This soup is in the style of classic, Habitant, French-Canadian pea soup, that is made with yellow split peas, a ham hock and small pieces of vegetable. It is a thick, somewhat smooth-textured pea soup.
Can I use a smoked ham hock? If you want! Obviously, the smoked hock will add a distinctive smoked flavour to the soup. If you like that, it's certainly fine to go ahead and use it. You will probably need to add less salt at the end of cooking.
Don't I need to soak the peas before cooking? No. Unlike their dried bean counterparts, dried peas will cook quite quickly and easily without soaking or pre-cooking. Dried split peas will generally cook to tender in as little as 30-45 minutes without soaking.
Why didn't my peas ever soften? I have never had this happen myself, but if your peas never got tender after cooking for several hours, it could be that the peas were old/too dry. It could also be related to your water. If your water is really, really hard, it can prevent dried peas and beans from softening.
Can I cook this soup in a slow cooker or instant pot? I'm sure you can, though I don't have any real direction for you in that respect, as I've not done it myself. I would generally try to mimic the simmer rate and general time for the stove-top recipe for the slow cooker. I am not a regular Instant Pot user, so I don't have any advice for you there. (If you have tried this recipe in a slow cooker or instant pot, I'd love if you'd come back and leave some information for others who may want to try it that way :)
How can I make this soup vegetarian? Simply omit the ham hock and substitute vegetable stock for the chicken broth. If you like, a crumble of veggie bacon on top would be a nice addition to this soup.
Is this soup gluten free? Most likely, yes. Be sure to make sure your chicken broth is labeled as gluten free, as some are not. It's also worth checking the dried beans as well and seeking out ones that specify gluten free.
What if I can't find ham hocks? If you can't find ham hocks, you can get a little bit of that flavour by stirring a little cooked ham into the soup during the last half hour of cooking.
Why aren't there any cloves in this soup? While it's true that some French-Canadian Pea soup often is spiced with cloves, I am not a big fan of cloves and I don't think I'm alone. It's quite a powerful spice and can be divisive in terms of taste. I felt it safer to leave them out of this recipe. If you are used to cloves in pea soup or are a clove lover, you can certainly add some with the spices.
Cook's Notes
I like to give this soup a super quick blend with the immersion blender. Not enough to puree it. Just enough to blend a bit of the peas in to the broth, for a thicker soup. Alternately, you could remove a cup of the soup and blend it in a blender. Or you could just leave it be. Your call :) Just be sure to remove the bay leaf before you do any blending.
I prefer to add all of the additional salt and pepper at the end of cooking, as I'm adding some salt with the broth and the ham hock already. Saving it until the end prevents an overly salty soup. That said, do be sure to taste and season well, if it needs it. It will help to bring together all the great flavours in this soup.
Recipe
Quebec-Style Yellow Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsmoked ham hock
- 2 Tbsp butter, or cooking oil
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 1 rib celery, finely diced
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 3/4 cups dried yellow split peas, rinsed well and sorted through
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried savory
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth
- 3 cups water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Trim off and discard skin from ham hocks.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add carrots, celery and onion. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Stir in dried split peas, bay leaf ,savory and thyme. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in chicken broth and water. Add the ham hock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas are very soft and soup is thickened, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours. *NOTE: You may need to add additional water or stock if soup gets too thick.
- PICK OUT AND DISCARD BAY LEAF and remove the ham hock to a plate. *Note: I prefer a thicker soup, so I blend just a bit of the soup with an immersion blender or blender. Just do a quick blend (or blend just a cup of the soup. You don't want a completely pureed soup. You want it to retain most of it's texture, but the bit of pureed soup will incorporate with the broth for a thicker soup.)
- Let ham hock cool slightly, then remove any meat on the hock and add it back to soup. Discard the fat and bone from the hock.
- Stir to combine meat with soup. Taste and generously season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon to make personal health decisions.
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Jocelyn says
I have a vegetarian green split pea soup recipe I have used for years with great success. However, I had a ham bone and yellow split peas on hand and decided to give this one a try. Impressive result, and much like the soup my French Canadian grandmother used to make. The summer savory really makes all the difference. I will definitely make this again.
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jocelyn :) Thanks so much!
Natalie says
This has been my go-to recipe for a couple years now. I like to use smoked ham hock or smoked boneless ham. For those who want to make it in a pressure cooker, I've made it in an Instant Pot. Pressure cook for 30 minutes with the natural release of 10 minutes or so. That's what worked for me.
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying it Natalie and thanks for the details on the Instant Pot method for this soup. People have been asking :)
Jan says
Oh my goodness! This soup is phenomenal! Used to buy Habitant pea soup until recently we noticed a huge change in the taste, which prompted me to find a recipe to make my own. This is the easiest shop I’ve ever made and tastes beyond delicious. Followed the instructions exactly and it was perfect! Would not change a thing. I’ll be making your vanilla cranberry muffins tomorrow. They look scrumptious! Thank you so much. My husband is from Quebec by the way. 🇨🇦
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Jan :) Thanks so much!
Barbara says
Wonderful soup. Perfect. I used a smoked ham hock and it was delicious!
Jennifer says
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbara :) Thanks!
Heather Jones says
Good evening this recipe looks lovely and will make it but what is Savory? I have never heard of it here in England. I am giving it a 5 because it looks great
Jennifer says
Hi Heather, savory is an herb, sometimes known as Summer or Winter Savory. It is not commonly used. It's possible that it is available in England, but you just weren't aware because you've never sought it out. If you can't find it, substitute it with thyme and maybe a pinch of sage.
Mindi says
Delicious and easy to make soup. I used a one pound ham steak instead instead of the ham hock and then chopped up the meat and added it to the soup in the end. A small drizzle of good quality balsamic vinegar in each bowl adds a wonderful smoky and delicious flavour to an already wonderful soup ... try it, you'll like it!
Jennifer says
Sounds great, Mindi! So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks so much.
Molly says
We don’t eat pork products? is there a good substitute for the ham hock?
Jennifer says
Hi Molly and no, there isn't really a good substitute. You would just need to omit it from the recipe.
Claudia Levesque says
If you dont eat pork, you could substitute smoked turkey wings/necks...
Jennifer says
Hi Claudia, I suppose you could. I'd lean more towards turkey bacon myself, as it might deliver just the right amount of smokiness to the soup.
Aimee says
So delicious. This was my first time making pea soup from scratch and turned out great. The bottom did burn a little bit so I think next time I will put it on lower heat. Has this ever happened for you?
Jennifer says
Hi Aimee, so glad you enjoyed it. As for scorching, a couple of thoughts - make sure to use a heavy-bottom pot and if necessary, add a bit more broth or water to the pot, to keep the peas from settling on the bottom.
Judy says
Love this soup and so does my family. It is a keeper. Thanks. Judy
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying it, Judy :) Thanks!
Yvette says
Wow, this soup is absolutely delicious. I tripled the batch because I invited my adult children, their spouses and my grandson for our soup and sandwich dinner. Everyone loved this soup and said it was the best they've tasted. Thank you Jennifer
Yvette
Jennifer says
So glad you all enjoyed it, Yvette :) Thanks so much!
Diane says
This is exactly what pea soup should taste like. Thank you.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Diane :) Thanks!
Anne says
Can this be made with cooked left over ham but no bone?
Jennifer says
Hi Anne! It can. You'll lose a bit of flavour from the bone, but otherwise, will work fine :) Enjoy!
Melanie says
I have the bone of a ham I cooked last night. Can I use that instead of the pork hock?
Never made pea soup before, so I'm trying to use what I already have.
Recipe looks so yummy. Hopefully the bone will work!
Thanks!
Jennifer says
Hi Melanie and absolutely go ahead and use it. It will be all good :) Enjoy!
Zachary Newcombe says
I had pea soup for the first time when I was in my local hospital known for its chef inspired menu for inpatients. I LOVED IT!!! as soon as I was able I hunted down recipes. This recipe called out to my taste buds and I decided to make it. Well I must tell you it turned out absolutely AMAZING. I doubled the recipe as I bought 2 ham hocks and wanted to use them immediately. This soup turned out exactly as I wanted. I will make this again and again...... thank you so much!!!!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Zachary and so glad it hit the spot :) Thanks so much!
Lexie says
I made this soup using a leftover ham bone with lots of meat on it. Even after trying to cut all the fat off the bone there is still some left that you can’t get at. After simmering the soup bone minus the split peas I put the broth in the fridge overnight and let the fat solidify on the top. It is easy to remove all the fat with this method. My mom always did this and you will be surprised how much fat there is. Then I put the soup back on simmer and add the split peas.
Jennifer says
Great tip, Lexie! Thanks for sharing :)
Bill Stallan says
Just made Your Habitant Soup, in our IP, using twice the split peas recommended (4C); now we have Stodge that we just add boiling water to, for a GREAT bowl of soup and only have to freeze half as much🤔
Jennifer says
Sounds like a great way to have soup at the ready! Thanks for sharing :)
romain says
I really believe this recipe is unbeatable. The best pea soup recipe on the internet. I'm definitely in the fresh ham hock camp.
Jennifer says
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks so much! And I'm with you on the fresh hock :)
Laura says
I discovered this recipe a few years ago and use it when I have a ham bone left over from a meal. It turns out every time and it is a crowd pleaser! I will have to try the beer trick next time too.
Jennifer says
So glad you are enjoying it, Laura :) Thanks so much!
Joann says
I’m from Montreal Quebec, and this style of pea soup was a staple in my kitchen throughout fall and winter. The recipe here is about identical to the one I’ve been making throughout the years, except at the halfway time mark, I’ve always added a can of beer to the soup. The beer gives it that distinct “French flavour”, the alcohol is neutralized through the cooking process and the taste is very subtle. Many of the older Québécois add beer to the soup.
Jennifer says
Hi Joann and thanks for letting me know about the beer thing :) I'm going to try that next time!