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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:

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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. missdonna Avatar
    missdonna

    I am embarrassed to say that I have only eaten split pea soup from a can because for some reason I thought it was more complicated then this and I am the only one I know that eats it. So wish me luck I’m fixing to start my first ever pot of home made split pea soup….

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Trust me my husband is addicted to canned soup! I get it!

  2. Marilyn Avatar
    Marilyn

    I also had the problem with it being very watery, I’ve had it in the crock pot for 10 hours now. The recipe has all of my favorite ingredients, I think I’ll just use the broth without the water next time.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh shoot – I’m so sorry it was too watery for your taste Marilyn!! I hope you still enjoyed it!

      1. Julia Avatar
        Julia

        I’ve heard that variations in final liquid levels can be due to differences in the slow cooker. People who have very tight lids that do not let out a lot of steam may have a more liquid final product. My slow cooker is missing a few bolts in the lid and it lets out enough steam that I have to be careful when cooking something with minimum liquid that it doesn’t dry out!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          That’s a great point Julia thank you!

  3. marilyn Avatar
    marilyn

    Just about to make this in my slow cooker, I’ll let you know what it turns out like ….

  4. FoodJunkie Avatar
    FoodJunkie

    Bacon gives this a hit of flavour. For those that can’t have bacon I’d use one or more of ham flavoured seasoning (vegetarian), smoked paprika or liquid smoke. I will be giving this one a try.

  5. Wendy Avatar
    Wendy

    The flavor is good but I agree…very watery and not like any split pea soup,that I have ever had

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Oh no I’m sorry yours was watery Wendy!! I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor regardless.

  6. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    I found this recipe and was so excited to try it. I love Split Pea Soup! I currently have this in my crock-pot with only one more hour of cooking time to go. It smells wonderful in my house; however, I am getting a little worried. The soup looks VERY watery! I followed the recipe to the T, and it looks watery. I even gave it a little stir, thinking the peas maybe just needed to move around a bit.. but still watery! Is this how your recipe is supposed to be?? I am used to split pea soup being on the thicker side. I’ve actually never seen watery split pea soup. I just hope it tastes good..

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Hi Jennifer – How did it turn out?? Mine got really thick over time and if it’s not thick enough, just continue to cook it down and more of the liquid will evaporate. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!!

      1. Jennifer Avatar
        Jennifer

        The flavor is really good, but it did stay very watery. I even let it cook a little longer, and turned it up to high. =( Not sure what happened because I followed the directions exactly as they were listed. The important thing is that it tastes good!

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Oh no!! I’m so sorry. I will say, it’s not supposed to be thick like it is out of a can. It’s definitely a bit more brothy. But still I’m sorry it wasn’t what you were looking for. I’ll make a note to the recipe to reduce the liquid if you want a thicker soup. Thank you for your helpful feedback!

          1. Keith Rowe Avatar
            Keith Rowe

            Try just 1 carton of chicken broth b/c I saw somebody on YouTube with virtually the same recipe & his came out very thick! Hope that helps …Look Up Jack Snow on YouTube & type in “Slow Cooker Pea Soup”…

          2. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
            Liz DellaCroce

            Great tip!

          3. Keith Rowe Avatar
            Keith Rowe

            Just a minor correction Liz, the name of the man is “Jack Show” & not Jack Snow…Hope the info helped as I’m working on my Pea Soup as we speak…

        2. cindy Avatar
          cindy

          Hi my father always used to shred a potato into his pea soup and it was thick and delicious. He also used to use half green and half yellow peas…. this gave it a really great colour!

  7. Angela Pelc Avatar
    Angela Pelc

    Making this today, burned the bacon, will search for paprika if needed. Thanks Liz!

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Yum!!! Let me know how it turns out!!! Enjoy sista!

      1. Angela Pelc Avatar
        Angela Pelc

        So, I had this in my slow cooker (double batch) for 4 hours on high. Everything came together beautifully, used veggie broth, pearl onions, thyme made it super tasty. Only problem? HARD PEAS. Left it on overnight on low (adding another 12ish hours). HARD PEAS. Brought to work today, heated up. HARD PEAS. I used a potato masher, but those darn peas are not budging! Any ideas? Put on the stove? Use immersion blender?

        1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
          Liz DellaCroce

          Umm….That’s bizarre. I normally don’t even soak mine. Is it a brand you’ve used before? Was there enough liquid? I can’t imagine how on earth they wouldn’t soften after 4 hours on high let alone 12 hours overnight!! So sorry – the only thing I can say is perhaps they were really old peas? So sorry.

  8. Joanne @ Fifteen Spatulas Avatar
    Joanne @ Fifteen Spatulas

    This looks insanely delicious. And healthy too! And hearty. I could add many “ands” to this one.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Thanks so much Joanne – I love letting the slow cooker do all the work!! Happy New Year friend!

  9. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
    Liz DellaCroce

    Thank you so much – the bacon makes the soup!! Perfect smokey, salty balance to the green peas. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

  10. St Avatar
    St

    Any recommendations for a substitute for the bacon if we can’t eat bacon?

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      Assuming you can’t eat Canadian bacon or ham, I would just skip it and add more salt. Another idea for smokiness without pork would be to add smoked paprika. Hope that helps!!

    2. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      One more thing – turkey bacon would be great!

    3. Tammy Avatar
      Tammy

      Try Turkey bacon if you can have that. If you are unable to use this skip it but add some cumin to add smokiness flavor to the soup.