Digital Growth Group

Split Pea Soup (A Family Recipe Passed Down Through Generations)

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Comfort food. Simple ingredients. A recipe learned from my mom.

This week’s recipe takes me back to being a teenager in the kitchen with my mom — learning how to make food stretch, how to build flavor with simple ingredients, and how to turn a pot of soup into something that feels like home.

Split Pea Soup is one of the first recipes she taught me.
Fresh herbs came later, as I grew in professional kitchens and learned how to elevate simple dishes. But the heart of this recipe — the comfort, the warmth, the memory — that comes straight from her.

This one is naturally gluten-free, hearty, and perfect for cold days, recovery days, or any day you want something that tastes like family.

Recipe Overview

Ready in: 3 hours
Prep time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8
Diet: Naturally Gluten-Free

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • Garlic (minced)
  • 1 lb bag of split peas
  • 1 onion, diced
  • ½ bag baby carrots, sliced into circles
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 4 quarts chicken stock
  • 1 ham hock

Preparation

1. Sauté the Base

In a large stockpot, add:

  • olive oil
  • minced garlic
  • all diced vegetables

Cook until vegetables turn soft and translucent.

2. Build the Soup

Add:

  • the split peas
  • fresh herbs
  • chicken stock
  • ham hock

Bring to a hard boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

3. Maintain Texture

Split peas thicken naturally as they cook.
Stir often and add water or additional stock as needed to keep the soup from becoming too thick.

Simmer until peas have broken down and soup reaches your preferred consistency.

Chef Tips

  • Fresh herbs (thyme especially) take this from good to incredible.
  • Fresh cracked pepper gives a deeper, warmer flavor than pre-ground.
  • Adding more chicken stock instead of water keeps the soup rich and layered.
  • If you like it smoother, blend a portion and return it to the pot.

🍲 Pair This Recipe With Your Own Recipe Journal

This dish is straight from my family’s table — and if you love collecting recipes like this one, here’s the perfect place to store them:

📘 “My Family’s Recipes” Journal
https://amzn.to/48zmwcI

Use it to write down:

  • family dishes
  • handwritten recipes
  • holiday traditions
  • soups like this one
  • personal notes and memories

A perfect companion to this recipe series.

🖍️ Chef-Recommended Coloring Pencils

For those who love coloring pages in my recipe journals:

🖍️ My go-to coloring pencils:
https://amzn.to/455GUjh

Smooth, bright, and perfect for detail work.

Amazon Affiliate Disclaimer

Digital Growth Group LLC participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Call to Action

If you enjoyed this family recipe, you can:

✔️ Bookmark this post
✔️ Pin it to your Pinterest boards
✔️ Add it to your “My Family’s Recipes” journal
✔️ Share it on social media
✔️ Follow the Digital Growth Group journey for more weekly recipes, books, and updates

New recipes drop every Friday —
and each one comes from my years in professional kitchens, family traditions, or creative dishes I’ve developed along the way.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

– Gregory Stephens
Digital Growth Group LLC
📧 gregory@digital-growth-group.com