Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is such a classic soup recipe, and while this cooks your house will smell great! And split peas have some fiber and my version has a lot of sausage, so this recipe has about 15 net carbs per serving! See tips for making a version that’s even lower in carbs.

Pin the Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup to try it later!

I’ve had a life-long attraction to split pea soup, even though I don’t remember my mother ever making it when I was a kid. Not only do I love the creamy flavor of the split peas, but this type of soup is about as budget-friendly as you can get, and this Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup is a healthy dinner that can cook all day while you’re at work.

And even though some people don’t like the looks of this type of soup, having soup cooking all day and enjoying it on a cold winter night is definitely a beautiful thing.

I use sausage in my slow cooker split pea soup recipe, and any type of chicken or turkey sausage will work in this tasty soup recipe. If you’re starting this in the morning to cook all day while you’re working you can do the browning of the sausage and onions the night before and keep them in the fridge overnight. Then throw everything in the slow cooker the next morning and turn it on and dinner will be handled!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What sausage can you use for Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup?

I’ve made this recipe most often with pre-cooked chicken sausage that I dice into bite-sized pieces and brown in a frying pan before I add it to the slow cooker. But any turkey or chicken sausage you like the flavor of will work for this recipe. I think turkey breakfast sausage would be delicious if you like the idea of a browned and crumbled sausage instead of small pieces of sausage. Experiment with different sausage options and see which one you like best.

What other meat can you use besides sausage?

You can definitely use a pound of diced ham to replace the sausage in this slow cooker split pea soup recipe. People also use diced corned beef, cooked diced chicken, or cooked ground beef in this type of soup.

How can you make a lower-carb version of Split Pea Soup?

I used carrots for a pop of color and flavor, but if you replace the carrots with diced red bell pepper you can make an even lower lower-carb version of this soup that’s going to be equally delicious.

What size Slow Cooker did I use?

I used the 6 Quart Ninja Cooker (affiliate link) for this soup, but any 4-5 quart slow cooker would work.

Want More Split Pea Soup Ideas?

Check out my version of Instant Pot Split Pea Soup that has ham and sweet potatoes for another tasty split pea soup or Yellow Split Pea Soup for a delicious soup with Italian Sausage and green pepper! There’s also a collection of Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site.

How to Make Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. For the type of pre-cooked chicken sausage I used, cut the sausage into fourths lengthwise and then into bite sized pieces and brown the sausage in a non-stick pan. You might need a little oil, depending on yoru pan.
3. Put the browned sausage in the slow cooker.
4. Then brown the onions and add them to the slow cooker.
5. Add two cups green split peas, chopped carrots, chicken stock or broth, water, and a packet of Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link) and let the soup cook 8 hours low or 4 hours on high. 
6. When split peas have disintegrated, check the consistency and add a little water to the soup if desired.
7. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper and enjoy!

More Tasty and Budget-Friendly Crockpot Soups:

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep  where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Split peas aren’t especially low in carbs, but they do have fiber and this soup has a generous amount of sausage for 15 net carbs per serving. For a lower-carb version, replace the carrots with red bell pepper. Since the Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup includes carrots, it would be a phase two option for the original South Beach Diet. (The version with red bell pepper would work for Phase One of South Beach.)

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2008. It was last updated with a lower-carb option in 2022 and updated again with more information in 2023.

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