This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
Instant Pot Potato Soup
Instant Pot Potato Ham Soup
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Sausage Potato Soup)
Instant Pot Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Ham Hock and Bean Soup
Pin This Recipe
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
Ingredients
- 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) (1/4 tsp table salt)
Use any of these for your meat (or a combination of them)
- 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)
Instructions
- Turn the pressure cooker on to the Sauté function. Let it warm up and add the olive oil and butter.
- Add the onion, celery, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion starts to turn translucent.
- Add the carrots, garlic, bacon or ham, if using, and pepper. Cook for a minute.
- Add the broth and ham bone or ham hocks, if using (Add liquid smoke, if using, for vegetarian method). Let come to a simmer.
- Stir in the split peas.
- Place the lid on the pot and lock it in place. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Taste and add the salt as desired.
- Serve hot. The soup will thicken quite a bit when it cools, that is normal.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
RESOURCES TO MAKE Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe and more
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I need a large post of soup, like 1lb & 1/2 cooking time. Do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Hi Dolly, I’m not quite sure what you are asking. If you are increasing the soup by 1 1/2 you do not need to adjust the cook time. I hope that is what you meant!
I made this soup yesterday. Tasted great! Only issue is the end result was so thick, and got even thicker after i let it cool off. I have been making split pea soup for years on the stove top and decided to try it in the instant pot. The reviews were great, not sure why mine was so thick. I added some broth, but when it cooled off, it was super thick as I was spooning it into a glass bowl to refrigerate.
Split Pea Soup always thickens up, even the stove top version. At least for me it always has. You can add an extra cup of broth if you want it thinner, but it will still be thick when it cools down.
Thank you Sandy! I am a soup lover. I make soup just about every week in cooler months. I normally need to plan well in advance for split pea. Not any more. I followed your recipe with very minimal change. This is a new favorite for my insta pot recipes ❤️
Yay! I’m with you on the soup! I love all kinds of soup, too! Thank you for your review, I’m so glad you liked it!
The method for this Instant Pot recipe is excellent. I made a few variations:
I didn’t have any carrots on hand so I added a tablespoon of Blue Agave liquid for sweetness.
I used Mother Earth Products dehydrated celery dices instead of fresh.
I also tossed in a few Mother Earth Products dehydrated bell peppers.
I used Minor’s Chicken Base to make 6 cups of broth, the extra cup to hydrate my dried ingredients..
I added two tablespoons of Hoosier Hill Parmesan powder.
Obviously I like the convenience shelf-stable, dehydrated foods if they’re of high quality.
For the meat I used 2 medium sized ham hocks.
Other than the above I prepared the soup exactly as published. I’m happy to report outstanding results, and this method is going into my personal cookbook Instant Pot file as my go to recipe for split pea soup. 5 STAR +.
I
Hi John! What a great adaptation! I’m so glad you made this work with what you had. Thank you for your review!
I just made the soup and added cloves as someone suggested. It was fantastic. Thanks!
Nice! Thanks for letting me know!
Do you soak you peas
Thank you it looks good
Hi, no, I just rinse them.
Hello Sandy:
I have just ordered a new Instant Pot (haven’t used one yet) and added your recipes to my favorites. They all look really good. Actually for my taste. they look the best! Really anxious to get cooking with my new pot and your recipes. . Will keep you posted. Thank you.
David Springall, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Hi David! I’m glad you like the look of my recipes. If you ever have any questions, please ask away!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I made my first instant pot recipe and my family, including my pickiest eater, loved it!!
Hi Katie! I’m so glad you liked it! And that your picky eater liked it, too! Thank you for your review!
I was wondering if anything about the recipe would have to change if i chose to leave out the carrots? Im looking for a good, thick split pea soup with ham but without other veggies taking away from it. I figure the onion is necessary, and celery has such a subtle flavor that diced celery wont bug me, but i hate carrots in split pea soup. Can i just remove them? or do i need to alter other stuff if i do?
No worries, just omit them.
Grew up on my grandma’s stove-top recipe. This was just as good! Peas not quite fully dissolved, but I like it that way! Used a hock because it’s what I had. Next time a hock and some thick-sliced deli ham chopped up. Maybe some real bacon bits also. Def making this again!
That’s great, Chris! Thanks for your review!