Chunky Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipe

First, you'll need split peas. Split peas can be either green or yellow. While you can use yellow split peas for this soup, green are usually recommended for their sweeter, richer flavor and because they have the "pea" flavor you'd expect, whereas yellow peas taste closer to lentils. Once you have your peas figured out, grab butter, onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves, thyme, and either chicken or vegetable broth. Then, look for pork neck bones. A little bit goes a long way with bones, so you'll only need 1 or 2 pounds to develop great flavor. Lastly, grab a little salt and pepper to season as needed.

Pork neck bones are surprisingly easy to find — once you start looking for them, you'll notice them everywhere. That's because they freeze well and are great for adding flavor to dishes, and butchers are happy to sell the otherwise useless parts of their supply. If you can't find them or simply want to avoid pork, there are plenty of other options, too. You can use a bone-in pork shoulder for an extra-meaty pea soup. You can use smoked ham hock, which will offer a similarly deep flavor as the neck bones. You could swap for turkey and use turkey legs or necks; this is especially useful after Thanksgiving. You can also skip the bones and use leftover meats like shredded turkey, rotisserie chicken, or roasted ham. If using leftover meats instead of bones, adjust the salt and pepper as needed so that the soup is still rich and full of flavor.

Already highlighting a plant-based protein, this soup can easily be adjusted for a fully vegetarian or vegan diet. The slow-cooked pork bones in the original recipe do, however, provide a depth and richness that you'll want to account for in the ingredient's absence — McGlinn suggests replacing the bones with smoked paprika, liquid smoke, vegan Worcestershire sauce, or soy sauce. Add a little of your chosen replacement at a time, tasting as you go, until your vegan soup has all of the savory, umami qualities beloved in its meat-filled counterpart. From there, just swap the butter for your favorite vegan cooking fat (such as olive oil or vegan butter) and replace the chicken broth with an equal amount of vegetable broth.

While filling on its own, split pea soup can become part of an even more substantial meal alongside dishes that match the soup's timeless, hearty characteristics. "The easiest option is warm, crusty bread or focaccia," says McGlinn. "Split pea is such a dippable soup!" The ever-iconic combo of soup and salad makes sense here, too. Alongside the heavy, savory soup, you'll want any accompanying sandwich to bring freshness and brightness: A pesto Caprese panini would work wonderfully, while the sweet-savory delights of a Monte Cristo could offer a richer counterpart.

Otherwise, a rustic soup like split pea pairs well with similarly uncomplicated dishes — try steak, beef tenderloin, or roasted chicken. Whichever direction you go, McGlinn emphasizes pairings that highlight the simple, robust flavors of meat, herbs, and vegetables.