Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is a good recipe to use for leftover ham! Quick cooking and easy to make, this flavorful pressure cooker split pea soup is one of my most popular recipes. It's really delicious!
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Turning on the Way-Back Machine, I can recall eating Split Pea Soup when I was still in a high chair! It has always been a favorite soup recipe of mine. This recipe is inspired by my Mom.
Use Leftover Ham
If you cooked a bone-in ham you can use the meaty ham bone to flavor this soup.
If you don't have a bone, just use the ham meat, cubed. It will still add the flavor you want.
You can also use ham hocks. Best if not frozen.
A Faster Split Pea Soup
When I make Split Pea Soup on the stove, it takes 2 to 3 hours, though it tastes awesome!
I wanted to have a quicker cooking split pea soup, so I adapted my recipe for the Instant Pot®.
Pressure cookers are great for just this kind of recipe, as the flavors are extracted from the ingredients and make the broth taste delicious!
Pressure cookers speed up the process and cook the soup in way less time than on the stove.
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup only takes about an hour, with the sautéing and natural release, so that's a big time saver! The peas come out nice and soft, and the flavor is very good!
If you want a Vegetarian or Vegan pressure cooker split pea soup, omit the butter (for vegan), use vegetable broth, and try some liquid smoke to give the soup a nice smoky hint of flavor.
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If you make this yummy pressure cooker split pea soup recipe, let me know! Please leave a comment with a star rating below. I'd love to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup has lots of flavor, and is a comforting, warm hug in a bowl! With ham, onion, garlic and thyme. You can also make this vegetarian or vegan.
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Butter
- 1 Onion, diced
- 3 Stalks of Celery, diced
- 2 Bay Leaves
- ¼ tsp Thyme Leaves, dried
- 3 Carrots, chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic, pressed or finely minced
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth low sodium (use only 5 cups for a thick soup, 7 cups for a thinner soup)
- 1 lb Green Split Peas, rinsed and sorted (unsoaked)
- 1 tsp Liquid Smoke (Optional) for vegetarian version
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt (add last, after cooking, if needed) (¼ tsp table salt)
- 6 slices Bacon (Optional) chopped
- 2 small Ham Hocks (Optional) Not very meaty, but add a nice smoky flavor and richness.
- 1 Leftover Ham Bone (Optional) I like to use this with the diced ham
- 2 - 3 cups Diced Leftover Ham (Optional)
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Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté function. Let it warm up and add the olive oil and butter.
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Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to turn translucent.
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Add the carrots, garlic, bacon or ham, if using, and pepper. Cook for a minute.
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Add the broth and ham bone or ham hocks, if using (Add liquid smoke, if using, for vegetarian method). Let come to a simmer.
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Stir in the split peas.
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Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Cancel the sauté function and Choose Pressure Cook/Manual, and use the + or - or dial to choose 18 minutes. High pressure. It will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure.
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When the cooking time has finished, let the pot sit undisturbed for 15 minutes to naturally release some of the pressure. Then turn the steam release knob to Venting to quick release the remaining pressure.
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When the pin in the lid drops down, carefully open the lid, facing away from you. Remove the bay leaves and the bone or ham hocks, if you used them.
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Taste and add the salt as desired.
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Serve hot. The soup will thicken quite a bit when it cools, that is normal.
If you want a Vegetarian or Vegan soup, omit the butter (for vegan), use vegetable broth, and try some liquid smoke to give the soup a nice smoky hint of flavor.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe and more
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Robert Trimm
This soup is amazing. I went for the thinner soup option and then used an immersion blender to puree some of the soup after cooking. The results were amazing, a nice hearty soup thickened just the way we like it. This one is a keeper.
Andrey Yuryevich Zelenin
I add almost all spices after cooking. Pressure cookers kill subtle aromas
Sandy
I have never heard this. I think it is okay to add heartier herbs such as fresh rosemary as that is not really nice to eat uncooked. You want the oils to release into the soup. For me, dried herbs also do better cooked. Maybe you are referring to other seasonings? I'm curious.
Mark Solomon
I love split pea soup. This likes great. But I have a question about the bacon. Is sautéing a minute and then cooking at pressure enough to thoroughly cook it- or are you supposed to cook it before you ever add it to the Instant Pot?
Sandy
It is more than enough time.
Peter
Great recipe. I modified it to use yellow split peas and diced back bacon Canadian Bacon) along with a couple of rashers of “real” bacon. The result is a French Canadian style pea soup.
Gisela Kayfus
Excellent. This has replaced my other recipes. Using bone broth ups the flavor.
Kerri
My family loved it!!!
Robin Goethals
Hi! I love split pea soup it is my favorite. Being brought up Jewish my mom always made it with beef flanken. Do you know how I would use the beef instead of the ham in making your recipe in the instant pot? It is such a pain cooking it on the
Stove which seems to take all day to cook. I would greatly appreciate your help.
Sandy
I think I would cook the beef prior to adding it to the recipe so it will be cooked through and tender. Then just cut it up and add it as you would the ham.
Gretchen
Enjoy this recipe, second time making it! I do cook the cut up bacon almost completely first, remove it, then sauté all the veggies in the bacon grease. Adding the bacon back in with the garlic. I’ve made it with smoked ham hock and with leftover ham bone. It’s such a great shortcut to do it in the instant pot. My hubby had a bad opinion of pea soup from growing up, but he loves this one 👍. Thanks!
I do have a flavor recommendation for those doing a vegan version… there’s a smoked tea called Lapsang Souchong that you can use as you would an herb and it will give a great smoked flavor with a soup such as this or a pot of black beans, etc. You can even grind it up finely to make it disappear in the soup.