Swedish Yellow Pea Soup

Swedish pea soup is the kind of meal that leans fully into old-school comfort food. Yellow split peas simmer with chicken broth, onions, herbs, and a smoked ham hock. Nothing fancy here, just simple ingredients simmered long enough to turn into something rich, thick, and worth ladling into a bowl.

Serve it with a spoonful of brown mustard and some crusty bread on the side. It’s filling, practical, and exactly what you want when you need something warm that actually sticks with you.

Swedish Split Pea Soup with Ham

I make this Swedish pea soup the old-school way, with simple ingredients that slowly turn into something thick, cozy, and worth coming back to.

I use a smoked ham hock because it gives the broth real depth as it simmers. By the time the peas are tender, the ham is soft enough to chop up and stir back into the pot.

I also add a whole onion studded with cloves. It’s an old-fashioned method that lets the onion and cloves gently flavor the soup while keeping the cloves contained.

And the peas handle the thickening all on their own. As they cook down, they turn the soup thick and hearty without needing cream, flour, or a blender.

If you grew up with a more traditional recipe, take a look at my split pea soup with ham. It’s closer to the kind my grandpa used to make.

Ingredient Notes

The yellow split peas are the base of the soup. They break down as they cook and give you that thick, hearty texture without needing anything extra. No soaking needed, just rinse and go.

The smoked ham hock adds so much flavor. It seasons the broth as it simmers and gives you a bit of tender meat to stir into the soup. If your ham hock is on the larger side, you’ll get more meat, which is never a bad thing.

The chicken broth matters more than you might think here. Since the ingredient list is short, a good-quality broth makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.

The onions and cloves add a subtle layer of flavor in the background. Studding the onion with cloves is an old-school trick that makes it easy to remove them later.

The fresh ginger doesn’t stand out on its own, but it adds a little warmth that works well with the peas and ham.

If you like hearty, stick-to-your-ribs soups, my lentil soup with sausage is another one to keep on rotation

The Best Yellow Pea Soup

This Swedish pea soup is about as straightforward as it gets, but it’s the kind of recipe that earns its place. A handful of simple ingredients, a little time on the stove, and you end up with a pot of soup that’s thick, filling, and easy to come back to. Serve it with some homemade focaccia bread on the side.

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs

4.75 from 31 votes

Swedish Pea Soup

By Pat Nyswonger

Swedish pea soup is an old-school comfort food made with yellow split peas, chicken broth, onions, herbs, ginger, and a smoked ham hock. It simmers into a thick, hearty soup with tender bits of ham stirred back in at the end.

If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating and comment.

Servings: 30 servings

SaveSaved Pin Comment Print

Email me this recipe!

Get this sent to your inbox, plus get new recipes from us every week!

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Email *

Save

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 pound dried yellow split peas
• ▢ 8 cups chicken broth, fresh if possible
• ▢ 3 yellow onions, chop 2; keep one whole
• ▢ 10 whole cloves, for studding the whole onion
• ▢ 1 smoked ham hock, about 2 pounds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• ▢ 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt,
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Rinse the peas and sort through them, removing any debris or small stones.
• Add the chicken stock, split peas, and chopped onions to a large pot. Stud the peeled whole onion with the cloves, then add it to the pot along with the ham hock, thyme, and ginger. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 90 minutes.
• Remove and discard the studded onion. Transfer the ham hock to a cutting board and let it cool until you can handle it comfortably. Remove and discard the fat, bone, and tough gristle, then chop the lean ham and return it to the pot. You should have about 1 cup of chopped ham.
• Continue simmering the soup for 30 minutes, stirring often as it thickens. If you prefer a thinner soup, stir in a little more chicken stock until it reaches the consistency you like.
• Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a nice crusty whole-grain bread and a dollop of brown mustard. Enjoy!

Notes

Ham hock size varies: A larger ham hock will give you more meat to chop and return to the soup. Expect about 1 cup, but it can vary.

Salt at the end: Ham hocks can be salty, so wait until the soup is finished before adjusting the seasoning.

Soup thickens as it sits: This soup will continue to thicken as it cools. Add a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen it up.

Clove-studded onion: Studding the onion with cloves lets it gently flavor the soup and makes it easy to remove everything at once.

Leftovers: The flavor deepens after a day in the fridge, making this a great make-ahead soup.

Serving suggestion: A spoonful of brown mustard on top adds a sharp, tangy contrast that works really well with the rich soup.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 98kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 186mg, Potassium: 254mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 28IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!