A thick, smoky split pea soup enriched with red lentils, shredded smoked ham and white beans, finished with a soft-poached egg for a creamy, savory bite.
Smoky Split Pea Stew That Feeds a Crowd
A thick, budget-friendly one-pot soup that turns pantry staples and a little shredded smoked ham into a big-batch, deeply savory dinner everyone will go back for.
This is the kind of recipe that answers the “what do we feed everyone?” question without a grocery-store marathon. Green split peas and red lentils make a creamy, economical base, canned tomatoes and white beans stretch the pot, and a little smoked ham and smoked paprika deliver that cozy, campfire-like warmth. It’s designed to be made in one heavy pot, served family-style, and to tolerate being bumped up for a crowd or stretched with extra broth when you need more bowls.
Texture is the star: red lentils soften and almost vanish to give silkiness, split peas break down into a luscious body, and whole white beans add comforting chew. The shredded smoked ham scatters savory pockets through the stew, while a quick hit of smoked paprika and a short sauté of onion, carrot and celery awakens the base with a toasty aroma. Canned tomatoes lend bright tomatoey acid so the broth never feels flat, even though it’s rich and substantial.
A few practical notes to make it fail-safe: rinse the split peas and red lentils under cold water until the water runs clear so the pot doesn’t foam; sweat the mirepoix until it starts to brown (about 6–8 minutes) before stirring in the smoked paprika; then add peas, lentils, tomatoes, bay leaf, shredded ham and chicken broth and simmer until the peas break down, roughly 45–55 minutes. If it becomes too thick, thin with extra broth, and if you like a chunkier texture mash a cup of the stew against the side of the pot and stir back in.
Finish each bowl with a soft-poached egg for a silky, savory hit that makes each spoonful feel indulgent, or a spoonful of plain yogurt if you prefer not to poach. The soup actually improves after a day in the fridge (it thickens and the flavors meld) — loosen with broth when reheating — and it freezes beautifully in portions for easy future meals. Serve with crusty bread and a scatter of fresh herbs for contrast.
Ingredients
How to Make Crowd Feed Split Pea Smoked Paprika Soup
- Rinse the split peas and red lentils under cold water until the rinse runs clear; drain and set aside.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, dice the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic so everything is ready to go.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery, and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 6–8 minutes; stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the rinsed split peas, red lentils, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaf, smoked ham, and the chicken broth; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and season with the salt and half the black pepper.
- Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are very tender and the soup has thickened, about 40–50 minutes (add up to 1 cup extra water or broth if it becomes too thick).
- Remove the ham from the pot, shred or dice the meat and discard any bone or excessive fat, then return the meat to the soup along with the drained and rinsed canned white beans; simmer 5–10 minutes to heat the beans through.
- For a creamy body with some texture, use an immersion blender to pulse and partially puree the soup (or transfer 2 cups to a blender, puree, and stir back in); taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors and finish with the remaining black pepper; discard the bay leaf.
- To serve with eggs: bring a small pot of water with a splash of vinegar to a gentle simmer and poach 4 eggs for about 3–4 minutes for soft yolks, or cook longer for firmer yolks; remove with a slotted spoon and blot.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top each portion with a poached egg, sprinkle with chopped parsley and a pinch of extra smoked paprika, and serve hot.
Recipe Card
Crowd Feed Split Pea Smoked Paprika Soup
A thick, smoky split pea soup enriched with red lentils, shredded smoked ham and white beans, finished with a soft-poached egg for a creamy, savory bite.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Rinse the split peas and red lentils under cold water until the rinse runs clear; drain and set aside.
- Peel and finely chop the onion, dice the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic so everything is ready to go.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the onion, carrots and celery, and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 6–8 minutes; stir in the garlic and smoked paprika and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the rinsed split peas, red lentils, canned diced tomatoes with their juices, bay leaf, smoked ham, and the chicken broth; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and season with the salt and half the black pepper.
- Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are very tender and the soup has thickened, about 40–50 minutes (add up to 1 cup extra water or broth if it becomes too thick).
- Remove the ham from the pot, shred or dice the meat and discard any bone or excessive fat, then return the meat to the soup along with the drained and rinsed canned white beans; simmer 5–10 minutes to heat the beans through.
- For a creamy body with some texture, use an immersion blender to pulse and partially puree the soup (or transfer 2 cups to a blender, puree, and stir back in); taste and adjust seasoning.
- Stir in the apple cider vinegar to brighten the flavors and finish with the remaining black pepper; discard the bay leaf.
- To serve with eggs: bring a small pot of water with a splash of vinegar to a gentle simmer and poach 4 eggs for about 3–4 minutes for soft yolks, or cook longer for firmer yolks; remove with a slotted spoon and blot.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, top each portion with a poached egg, sprinkle with chopped parsley and a pinch of extra smoked paprika, and serve hot.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 82
- Saturated Fat
- 3.5
- Sodium
- 600
- Fiber
- 26
- Unsaturated Fat
- 15
- Protein
- 43
- Fat
- 19
- Cholesterol
- 225
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 675
- Sugar
- 5