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.
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Get the Recipe: Quebec-Style Yellow Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb unsmoked ham hock
- 2 Tablespoons 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 teaspoon dried savory
- 1 teaspoon 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
More soup recipes you might also like …
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I tried your recipe using several slices of a small processed ham. However the yellow split peas were old and gave a coarse texture. It was impossible to make it with a creamier consistency. Using an immersion blender helped a bit but not totally. I will make it again with fresher ingredients. Cheers from Ottawa.
Hi Getoile and yes, old beans will unfortunately never get creamy. I think you will enjoy the texture with fresh beans :) Thanks!
This has been my go-to recipe for at least 3-4 years now. I make this multiple times through the cold months. This soup does not disappoint and is so savoury.
Thank you for sharing
Meagan (New Brunswick, Canada)
So glad to hear, Meagan :) Thanks so much!
This is the best pea soup recipe anywhere. I usually make it with a ham bone but have also used liquid smoke for vegetarian friends, and it’s delicious that way too.
So glad you are enjoying, Christina :) Thanks so much!
I haven’t tried this yet but it sounds delicious!
Have you made any good lentil soup? Recipe?
Thanks.
Ann
Hi Ann, I don’t have one here (yet), but I did one for a produce site a while back if you want to check it out. You can find it here – https://producemadesimple.ca/thai-inspired-collard-green-lentil-soup/
Hi Jennifer
I’m from Quebec and my mom made her pea soup
the same way that you make it, it’s delicious.
i’m going to use your recipe tomorrow.
thank you
Helen
So glad to hear, Helen :) Thanks and enjoy!
Made this soup for dinner and it is definitely the best split pea soup recipe I have ever made! Delicious! I did leave out the ham hock as I am on a reduced cholesterol and low fat diet! It still tasted amazing! I also added some dried onion flakes which added some extra flavour! So good! The spices and herbs in this recipe and especially the savoury herb really make this recipe the best! Will make this again for sure! A real winner!
So glad to hear, Gayle :) Thanks so much!
I’m wondering if a pork hock can be substituted for the ham hock as they are hard to find.
Thanks so much.
Hi Jan, I’ve never been super happy with a pork hock here, especially an unsmoked one (smoked pork hocks are a bit better). I think a better alternative is just buy a small 1/4 ham and add the butt end of it (the rounded part) into the soup in one piece. Then you’ll get the good flavour and bits of ham to add in the soup, too :)
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.
So glad you enjoyed it, Jocelyn :) Thanks so much!
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.
So glad you are enjoying it Natalie and thanks for the details on the Instant Pot method for this soup. People have been asking :)
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. 🇨🇦
So glad you enjoyed it, Jan :) Thanks so much!
Wonderful soup. Perfect. I used a smoked ham hock and it was delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it, Barbara :) Thanks!
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
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.
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!
Sounds great, Mindi! So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks so much.
We don’t eat pork products? is there a good substitute for the ham hock?
Hi Molly and no, there isn’t really a good substitute. You would just need to omit it from the recipe.
If you dont eat pork, you could substitute smoked turkey wings/necks…
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.
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?
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.
Love this soup and so does my family. It is a keeper. Thanks. Judy
So glad you are enjoying it, Judy :) Thanks!