Fall is the ideal season to make this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe! It's creamy, comforting, and incredibly satisfying. Start by preparing my Instant Pot ham, then use the ham bone and some leftover ham to create this flavorful, hearty soup!
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We absolutely love split pea soup and always look forward to it, especially when I make my Instant Pot ham or this delicious double smoked ham. The soup is hearty and comforting, and the flavor is simply unbeatable! It's the perfect dish for this time of year!
Making split pea soup in an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi is incredibly easy! Simply sauté the vegetables in the pressure cooker, then add the split peas, seasonings, hambone, and water or broth. In just about an hour, you'll have a hearty, flavorful soup ready to enjoy!
This soup is versatile and can be enjoyed in a couple of different ways. If you prefer a chunky texture, serve it as is. Or, for a smoother, creamier version, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, then stir in the diced ham for added flavor and texture.
For an extra creamy touch, add a splash of milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream just before serving or to your bowl!
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🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Hambone: I used a 3.6 lb hambone with plenty of meat on it. If you don't have a ham bone, you can substitute a couple of ham hocks instead.
- Split Peas: Two cups (1 bag) of green split peas.
- Veggies: 1 cup each chopped carrot, celery, and yellow onion. You'll also need 4 to 5 cloves of garlic.
- Herbs & Seasoning: Bay leaves, dried or fresh thyme, and black pepper. You can also add salt to taste, but if the ham is salty, you may not need it.
- Oil: Oil to saute the vegetables, but you can substitute with a tablespoon of butter or a few slices of chopped bacon, bacon grease, lard, or beef tallow (see beef tallow recipe).
- Milk: The milk is optional, but it does cut the saltiness of the ham. For an extra creamy texture, substitute half and half or heavy cream.
- Water: You'll need 6 cups of water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth.
*A full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🥣 How To Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Step 1: Chop carrots, celery, and onion. Add oil to an Instant Pot or other pressure cooker and choose "sauté." Once the oil is hot, add chopped carrots, celery, and onion, then saute for a couple of minutes.
Step 2: Add minced garlic and saute for another minute. Wash split peas in a strainer, then add to the Instant Pot, along with thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
Step 3: Add ham bone and water, then fasten the lid and turn the valve to the sealing position. Select high pressure and set the time to 15 minutes.
Pro Tip: It will take approximately 15 minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure.
Step 4: Once the cooking time is complete, do a natural release for 15 minutes, then a quick release. Remove the ham bone, then use a knife to trim the meat off and chop it into cubes. Stir the cubed ham into the soup and taste, adjusting the seasoning with salt if needed. Stir in milk (or half-and-half or cream) before serving.
Pro Tip: If you prefer a smooth texture, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy, then add diced ham.
🥖 Serving Suggestions
Instant pot split pea soup can be served topped with croutons, baked pita chips, crackers, or fresh herbs. You can also serve split pea soup with some crusty bread on the side for dipping, or this yummy cream cheese garlic bread. If you'd like to have soup and salad, I recommend this pear and arugula salad!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Although most legumes, including garbanzo beans, red beans, and great northern beans, need to be soaked for hours or overnight before cooking, split peas and lentils do not. They take less than an hour to cook when using a pressure cooker, making recipes using split peas and lentils a great option when you're short on time.
To elevate the flavor of split pea soup, try adding garlic and a blend of herbs like thyme, bay leaves, and oregano. For an extra depth of richness, consider incorporating bacon, cream, or a flavorful stock.
If you forget to set the valve to "sealing," steam will escape rather than stay inside the chamber. This trapped pressure is what helps speed up the cooking process, so without it, your Instant Pot won't work as it should.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- Store leftover split pea soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 3 months; however, do so before adding milk or cream to the soup.
- To thaw, place the soup in the fridge until thawed, then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
🍽 More Soup Recipes
If you enjoy this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe, check out these other great soup recipes!
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📖 Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Chop carrots, celery, and onion. Add oil to Instant Pot or other pressure cooker and choose "sauté." Once the oil is hot, add chopped carrots, celery, and onion, then saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add minced garlic and saute for another minute. Wash split peas in a strainer, then add to the Instant Pot, along with thyme, bay leaves, and black pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add ham bone and water, then fasten the lid and turn the valve to sealing position. Select high pressure and set the time to 15 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is complete, do a natural release for 15 minutes, then a quick release. Remove the ham bone, then use a knife to trim the meat off and chop it into cubes. Stir the cubed ham into the soup and taste, adjusting the seasoning with salt if needed. Stir in milk (or half-and-half or cream) before serving.
Nutrition
Notes
- It will take approximately 15 minutes for your pressure cooker to come to pressure.
- If you prefer a smooth texture, use an immersion blender to blend the soup until creamy, then add diced ham
- Store leftover split pea soup in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Leftovers can also be frozen for up to 3 months; however, do so before adding milk or cream to the soup.
- To thaw, place the soup in the fridge until thawed, then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Laura says
Hi. Looks delicious (like all your recipes.) Do you cook the ham before using in the recipe?
Hilda Sterner says
Yes, you want to use the leftover ham along with the hambone.