Split Pea Soup (Sopa de Chicharos)

A bowl of split pea soup served with slices of crusty bread and a pat of butter on the side.

Split Pea Soup (Sopa de Chicharos)

This Cuban-style split pea soup (sopa de chícharos) is thick, hearty, and packed with flavor. Made with split peas, vegetables, and smoked pork, it’s a budget-friendly meal perfect with bread or rice.

Course Soup

Cuisine Cuban

Keyword split peas

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 1 15

Total Time 1 40

Servings

Calories 685kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 medium Onion finely diced
1 large Carrot peeled and diced (about ¾ to 1 cup)
3–4 Garlic Cloves minced
½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
¼ teaspoon Ground Cumin
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
1–1½ pounds Smoked Ham Hocks rinsed and patted dry (or substitute ham shanks or a meaty ham bone)
6 cups Chicken Broth
1 Bay Leaf
12 ounces Dried Green or Yellow Split Peas sorted, rinsed, and soaked for 20–30 minutes
1 large Russet Potato peeled and cut into ½–1 inch pieces (about 10–12 ounces)
Salt to taste, if needed

Instructions

Sort through and rinse the split peas. Soak them in cold water for 20–30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Drain using a fine mesh strainer before using.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onion and carrot. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Stir in the garlic, oregano, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the smoked ham hocks, chicken broth, and bay leaf to the pot. Stir well. Raise the heat to medium-high. Once the broth starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Stir in the soaked and drained split peas. Raise the heat to medium-high. When the soup returns to a simmer, lower the heat again to medium-low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Adjust the heat as needed to maintain a simmer.
Use tongs to remove the ham from the pot and set it on a cutting board to cool.
Add the diced potatoes to the soup. If you had them soaking in water, be sure to drain them first. Cover the pot and continue cooking.
Once the ham is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the fatty skin and bones. Chop the meat into small pieces and return it to the pot. Stir well.
Cover and continue cooking for 20–25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the split peas are falling apart. Stir occasionally, more often as the soup thickens, to prevent sticking.
Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. (As a reference, we did not add any extra salt to ours.)
Serve hot with crusty bread or a side of white rice, if desired.

Notes

Wait until the end to add extra salt to the soup. Smoked ham and broth already contain a good amount, so adjust at the end if needed.
As the split peas begin to fall apart, the soup will naturally thicken. Stir more frequently at this stage, making sure to scrape along the bottom of the pot to prevent sticking.
If it starts boiling too vigorously, reduce the heat slightly to maintain a gentle simmer.
If the soup is too thick: Add ¼ cup of water or chicken broth at a time, stir, and check the consistency before adding more. Keep in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it cools.

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