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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup

Liz DellaCroce Avatar

LIZ DELLA CROCE

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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup is everything you expect from this classic dish made simply in advance.

Spoonful of slow cooker split pea and bacon soup.

We all know what we should be eating: whole grains, lean proteins, leafy greens, so on and so forth. So what’s stopping us? Whether it’s time that gets in the way or lack of ideas, here’s a new easy and quick soup to try! Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup comes together in a matter of minutes, letting you walk away to get other work done and let it cook itself! Want to save even more time? Make a double batch and save for busy weekday lunches or pop in the freezer for another day.

Ingredients

  • Bacon: Use turkey bacon if you want to cut down on sodium and fat, but either way bacon adds a delicious and salty protein to the soup.
  • Onion: Using a yellow or white onion adds mild flavor to the soup as well as vitamin C.
  • Celery: While it doesn’t add much in flavor, celery maintains a level of crunch in the soup and is chalk full of vitamins and nutrition.
  • Carrots: Somewhat sweet in flavor, carrots are especially high in vitamins A and K.
  • Split green peas: These dried and hulled peas cook easily and are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and zinc.
  • Thyme: Adds an earthy, lemony taste to the soup.
  • Bay leaves: While you don’t want to eat them, when soaked in a soup they add a mild, almost minty aroma and flavor.
  • Chicken stock: Adds flavor to the broth of the soup.

How to Make Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup

I always start my meals by prepping all my ingredients at once, so wash your produce, and peel and dice away.

Then in a pan, cook your bacon that has been cut into thin slices and pieces.

Then in the bowl of a slow cooker, add your diced onion and the cooked bacon.

Next, add the split peas, carrot, and celery to the bowl.

Then toss in the bay leaf and thyme.

After that you’ll pour in the chicken broth.

Followed by the water.

Finish with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, stir it all together, and put the lid on. Set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours or high for 4, and walk away!

Slow cooker split pea and bacon soup.

When finished, remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with fresh parsley. Then enjoy your Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup!

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do split peas need to be soaked before cooking?

Soaking split peas shortens their cooking time, but it’s not necessary. Especially when using a slow cooker.

Why rinse split peas before cooking?

While they don’t need to be soaked, depending on your split peas, you may consider rinsing them to get rid of any remaining dirt.

Can you freeze split pea soup?

Yes! It’s a great freezer friendly soup for meal prepping. Put it in a freezer safe resealable bag and keep for up to 3 months.
Slow cooker split pea and bacon soup.

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Liz eating slow cooker split pea and bacon soup.

By taking a few minutes at the beginning of your day to throw this soup in the slow cooker, you will be rewarded with a hearty, satisfying soup packed with the protein, fiber, and nutrients your body craves.

Your spoon is waiting.

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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup?

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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup

4.59 stars average
Liz Della Croce
Slow Cooker Split Pea with Bacon Soup is everything you expect from this classic dish made easy with the help of the crockpot.
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK: 4 hours
TOTAL: 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings6

Equipment

Ingredients
 

  • 2 slices bacon (sliced into thin strips)
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 2 celery stalks (diced)
  • 2 carrots (diced)
  • 1 cup split green peas (uncooked)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme
  • 2 leaves bay
  • 4 cups chicken broth (low sodium)
  • 3 cups water
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Cook the bacon strips in a medium pan over medium-high heat until crispy and browned; set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
  • In a slow cooker, add all remaining ingredients including the cooked bacon.
  • Heat on Low for 8 hours or High for 4 hours. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Last Step:

Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps us to continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.

Rate this Recipe

Liz’s Notes

Since different brands of chicken broth and bacon have varying amounts of sodium, season this soup with additional salt and pepper according to personal preference.

Nutrition

Calories: 157kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.5g | Protein: 11.1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 149mg | Fiber: 4.1g | Sugar: 3.3g


4.59 from 31 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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47 responses to “Slow Cooker Split Pea and Bacon Soup”

  1. Noir Writer Avatar
    Noir Writer

    This was super delicious! I like my split pea soup thicker – like my Nana’s – so I added a slurry of potato starch (I am a recent potato starch convert- love it!) for the last hour and the consistency was perfect… just like Nana’s! My butcher had some really nice thick-sliced applewood bacon… this gave the perfect smokiness to the dish.

    I will definitely do this again. I love to experiment with recipes, so next time I think I will substitute the carrots and onion for potatoes and leeks.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      That sounds incredible! So glad you enjoyed!

    2. Mark Avatar
      Mark

      This recipe is just what I was looking for. I made some slow cooker split pea soup yesterday and was thinking it would have been better with bacon. One suggestion I have from my experience yesterday is adding cornstarch if the soup seems too thin. I dissolved a few tablespoons in some cold water until I had a concoction about ranch dressing consistently, then I added a few tablespoons to the soup while it was boiling, and let it boil about three minutes more. It thickened nicely.

      I also have one request for future recipes as I’m a very inexperienced cook. Would it be possible to list in future recipes the size slow cooker you are using for the recipes. That would be a big help for me, and I’m sure for other novices out there.

      1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
        Liz DellaCroce

        That’s a wonderful suggestion! I’ll be sure to include that going forward.

  2. Rose Avatar
    Rose

    I have always cooked my split pea soup on the stove but wanted to try using a slow cooker. I used two pounds split peas along with 2 cartons of chicken stock and 2 cups water, (total 8 cups) plus seasonings, ham and vegetables for 9 hours. Flavor is very good but very watery. I also purred the soup. I’m hoping it will thicken. Can I continue to leave it on low? How long would it be safe to do so? I hate thinking I have to transfer it to a pot because I won’t be serving it for another 6 hours. Any suggestions Thank you.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I would keep it on warm if I were you!

  3. Alexander Avatar
    Alexander

    I’ve tries this recipe multiple times and I am very pleased with the results. It’s cheap, and easy, and tastes great. I have added more of the veggies to make it more hearty. It is a watery soup, not what I expected at first, but it turned out just right. Now I am trying a different approach. I added some potatoes and mushrooms, to empty my fridge from stuff that was going to go bad, and did stew beef chunks instead of bacon. I also added some roasted hatch chilies to make up for the cold weather. This is a recipe I will use quite often, but this time, I’m trying to expand and experiment with this recipe. I love lentil soup and this recipe reminded me quite a bit of it. I’ll let you ‘now how the experiment turned out.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Love that you’re making it your own – that’s what cooking is all about!!

      1. Alexander Avatar
        Alexander

        Just as an update, the experimental recipe turned out amazing. The beef was so very tender.

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          I’m so glad to hear that!

  4. Beth Avatar
    Beth

    I’ve tried many different pea soup recipes and all call for a full 1 lb. bag of split peas (about 2 cups). So that’s what I did. It’s in the crock pot now, so I can’t speak to how it came out but just noticed many others said their soup came out watery. I think that’s definitely because of only calling for 1 cup of split peas. Using a full bag should fix the problem.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Let me know how you like it!

      1. Beth Avatar
        Beth

        The soup had a great flavor! I didn’t think it was too watery, but I did use the whole bag of split peas. I also used about 4 strips of bacon and just a pinch of thyme. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly and it came out great. Thanks!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

  5. Sherwood Avatar
    Sherwood

    Made this on Monday! First time I’ve made split pea soup from scratch. Might be the first time I’ve cooked bacon, too! It’s definitely different from the variety I’m used to, which is thicker and almost stew-like. I was going to ask if maybe I’d undercooked this due to it lacking that quality (I’m not familiar with how split peas cook up or act), but my product looks a lot like your photos. I’m assuming it came out as it should. I might just have to eyeball other recipes and see what differs. Or maybe you know? Regardless, I really enjoyed this. It tastes very clean. I appreciate that you left the salt and pepper up to taste completely. I have some of this waiting for me for dinner tonight. :)

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes it’s definitely a bit thinner but you can always add cornstarch to thicken. Glad you enjoyed!

  6. Amber Avatar
    Amber

    I made this tonight and it was delish. All 5 kids and the hubby approved ☺️. I did double the split peas and used 4 slices of center cut bacon and spiced it up with some smoked paprika after reading some of the other comments. Came out the perfect consistency. Thanks for the recipe

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I’m so glad you all enjoyed it!!!