Slow Cooker Split Pea and Sage Sausage Soup

by Nancy

This slow cooker (crockpot) split pea soup made with sage sausage and vegetables tastes deliciously rustic and is easy to make.

Homemade split pea soup is thick, rich and hearty.

Yet it’s also a fairly light soup that tastes just like comfort food.

And split pea soup is great for lunch or dinner year-round.

I like to make this soup in a slow cooker (crockpot) because it’s so easy.

Just put the ingredients in the pot, cook it on the low setting and go about your day.

About Split Peas

Split peas are just regular field peas that have been dried and split in half.

They’re either green or yellow, and both colors generally have a similar taste.

And although split peas may look like lentils, they’re actually not lentils.

Both split peas and lentils are members of the legume family, but each one is of a different variety.

Split peas are great to have in the pantry because if stored properly, they have a fairly long shelf life.

They’re also relatively inexpensive and come in handy when making an easy meal with just pantry ingredients.

About the Ingredients

Split pea soup is made with simple ingredients starting with carrots, onions, celery and garlic.

But so that the soup doesn’t taste bland, a good amount of flavor needs to be added.

In this recipe, delicious flavor comes from the sage sausage, seasonings, fresh lemon juice and chicken broth.

About the Sage Sausage

In this soup, sage sausage not only adds saltiness, but it also adds a light rustic sage flavor.

The sage sausage used in this recipe is actually breakfast sausage with the sage already mixed into the sausage.

A tip for making this recipe is to use sage sausage that already has the sage mixed in the sausage.

Once I mistakenly bought a tube of regular sausage instead of the sage sausage.

And I didn’t notice it until right before needing it for a recipe.

So, I mixed ground sage into the sausage myself.

But it wasn’t even close to tasting as good as the sausage with the sage already in it.

Another quick tip is that too much sage sausage in this split pea soup can be overbearing.

So, in this recipe, only 3/4’s of the tube of sage sausage is used.

Let’s check out the ingredients.

Dried green split peas, sage sausage, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, lemon, parsley, dried thyme, bay leaf, chicken broth, water, salt and pepper

Equipment – 5-quart or larger slow cooker (crockpot)

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

A printable recipe with the measurements and instructions is located at the bottom of this post.

Preparation:

Sage Sausage

Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add the sage sausage.

With a heat proof spatula…

…break up the sausage into small pieces.

Stir as the sausage cooks.

Continue cooking until the sausage is thoroughly cooked and browned.

Transfer the cooked sausage onto a paper-towel lined plate.

TIP – Cook a total of 3/4’s of the package of sage sausage.

This should equal about 1 heaping cup of cooked sausage that goes into the soup, and 1/2 heaping cup of cooked sausage to use as garnish.

Transfer 1/2 heaping cup (for the garnish) into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to use later as garnish.

Cover the remaining cooked sausage (about 1 heaping cup) with a paper towel and set aside.

Garlic and Vegetables

Chop the garlic…

…celery…

…carrots and…

…onion.

Set aside.

Split Peas

Rinse the dried split peas in a colander.

Sort and examine the peas for dirt, rocks and bad peas.

For the Soup:

Ingredients in the Pot

In the slow cooker pot, add cooked sage sausage, rinsed dried green split peas, garlic, carrots, celery, onion, dried thyme, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.

To the pot, add water…

…chicken broth and…

…fresh lemon juice.

Then…

…stir together.

Add chopped parsley and…

…stir.

Cook:

Cover the slow cooker pot with a lid and cook on the low setting for 6 hours.

Right after the soup is done cooking, remove and discard the bay leaf.

TIP – If the soup is too thick, add more water a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

Cool down a small sample-size amount of the soup and do a taste test.

Add more salt if needed.

Garish and Serve:

For just a few seconds in the microwave, warm up the reserved cooked sage sausage (that was stored in the refrigerator).

Serve the soup warm and…

…top with small pieces of cooked sage sausage and chopped parsley.

Time to eat.

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Slow Cooker Split Pea and Sage Sausage Soup

This slow cooker (crockpot) split pea soup made with sage sausage and vegetables tastes deliciously rustic and is easy to make.

5 from 1 vote

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Yield: 5 Servings

Prep: 15

Cook: 6 15

Total: 6 30

Ingredients

For the Soup:

1/2 of a 16 ounce-package sage sausage (can also use regular or hot pork sausage) for the soup (as an ingredient); when cooked equals about 1 heaping cup of sausage
1 pound dried green split peas rinsed well, sorted and examined for dirt, rocks and bad peas
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion white or yellow onion
4 medium size cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 medium size bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon salt or add to taste after cooking
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole lemon juiced
1 container (32 ounces) chicken broth
2 cups water or more water if needed after cooking
1/4 cup chopped parsley (curly parsley)

For Garnish:

1/4 of a 16-ounce package sage sausage (can also use regular or hot pork sausage) for garnish; when cooked this equals about 1/2 cup (heaping) sausage
2 tablespoons chopped parsley (curly parsley)

Equipment

5-quart (or larger) slow cooker (crockpot)

Instructions

PREPARATION

Sage Sausage:

Heat a medium size skillet on medium heat and add the sage sausage. With a heat proof spatula, break up the sausage into small pieces.
Stir as the sausage cooks. Continue cooking until the sausage is thoroughly cooked and browned. Transfer the cooked sausage onto a paper-towel lined plate.
Cook a total of 3/4's of the package of sage sausage.
This should equal about 1 heaping cup of cooked sausage that goes into the soup, and 1/2 heaping cup of cooked sausage to use as garnish.
Transfer 1/2 heaping cup (for the garnish) into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator to use later as garnish.
Cover the remaining cooked sausage (about 1 heaping cup) with a paper towel and set aside.

Garlic and Vegetables:

Chop the garlic, carrots, celery and onions. Set aside.

Split Peas:

Rinse the dried split peas in a colander. Sort and examine the peas for dirt, rocks and bad peas.

FOR THE SOUP

Ingredients in the Pot:

In the slow cooker pot, add cooked sage sausage, rinsed dried green split peas, garlic, carrots, celery, onion, dried thyme, a bay leaf, salt and pepper.
Add water, chicken broth, fresh lemon juice and stir. Add chopped parsley and stir.

COOK

Cover the slow cooker pot with a lid and cook on the low setting for 6 hours.
Right after the soup is done cooking, remove and discard the bay leaf.
If the soup is too thick, add more water a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.
Cool down a small sample-size amount of the soup and do a taste test. Add more salt if needed.

GARNISH AND SERVE

For just a few seconds in the microwave, warm up the reserved cooked sage sausage (that was stored in the refrigerator).
Serve the soup warm and top with small pieces of cooked sage sausage and chopped parsley.

Notes

TIPS:

Use sage sausage that already has the sage mixed in the sausage (rather than mixing sage in the sausage yourself).
The sage sausage has a fairly strong flavor so only 3/4's of the package is used (1/2 of the package for the soup ingredients, and 1/4 of the package for garnish).
About 1/4 of the package of sage sausage is leftover and not used in the recipe.
If the soup is too thick after it's done cooking, add more water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Author: Nancy@CouponClippingCook

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Slow Cooker, Slow Cooker Soup, Split Pea and Sausage Soup, Split Pea Soup