Grandma’s Chicken and Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

• 1 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 10 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped (~1.5 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 cups green split peas, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh dill, finely chopped

Sauté the Vegetables

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and carrots and let them cook for ~7-10 minutes, until they’ve softened up and the onion looks golden at the edges.

Simmer the Soup

Add the chicken thighs and chicken broth to the pot with the vegetables. Stir in the rinsed split peas, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black pepper.

Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for ~30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.

Shred the Chicken and Finish the Soup

Pull the chicken out of the pot and set it on a plate to cool down a bit.

Add the chopped potatoes to the pot and let the soup simmer for another ~20-25 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and the split peas will start to break down and make the soup thick.

Once the chicken is cool enough, pull the meat off the bones and shred it; you can throw away the skin and bones.

Stir the shredded chicken and fresh dill into the soup and let it cook for another 5 minutes. Take out the bay leaves before serving.

Grandma’s Chicken and Split Pea Soup

Using bone-in thighs makes a richer stock as the soup simmers; you just don’t get that from boneless chicken. A little fresh dill at the end cuts through the richness.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 10 cups chicken broth
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion ~1.5 cups, chopped
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 cups green split peas rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt to start
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh dill finely chopped

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Sauté onion and carrots 7-10 minutes until softened and golden.
• Add chicken thighs, broth, split peas, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-40 minutes until chicken is cooked.
• Remove chicken to plate to cool.
• Add potatoes and simmer 20-25 minutes until tender and peas break down.
• Shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Return chicken to pot with dill and cook 5 minutes more.
• Remove bay leaves before serving.

Notes

Soup will thicken as it cools. Add more broth if desired consistency is thinner.