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–+ servings
ham and split pea instant pot soup in a bowl

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

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This simple Instant Pot split pea soup has the comfort of classic split pea soup in a fraction of the time! Make it with ham or without!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion 1/4-inch diced
  • 4 medium carrots scrubbed and 1/2-inch diced
  • 2 stalks celery 1/2-inch diced
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 ham bone smoked ham hock, or ham shank (see notes to swap deli ham or bacon)
  • 1 pound dried green split peas rinsed and picked over
  • 3 dried bay leaves
  • 6 cups chicken stock to eliminate leftover stock from 2, 32-ounce cartons, you can use 4 cups chicken stock from 1, 32-ounce carton and 1 (14.5-ounce can chicken broth)
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 to 2 cups water or additional chicken stock, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Turn a 6- or 8-quart Instant Pot to SAUTE. Add the butter and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the onion begins to turn translucent, about 5 minutes.
    Onions and Butter in Instant Pot
  • Add the carrots, celery, salt, smoked paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Stir in the garlic and let cook 30 seconds.
    Vegetables in Instant Pot for Split Pea Soup
  • Add the ham bone, split peas, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Turn off the SAUTE function. Close and seal the Instant Pot. Cook on HIGH pressure for 15 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Carefully vent the valve to release any remaining pressure.
    Split Pea Soup in Instant Pot
  • Unseal the Instant Pot. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Transfer the ham hock to a bowl and with two forks, pull the meat away from the bone. Discard the bone and return the ham to the pot.
    Cooking Split Pea Soup in Instant Pot
  • Stir in the lemon juice and Parmesan. If the soup is thicker than you would like, stir in water or additional stock as needed to reach your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as desired (you may want another few pinches of salt depending upon your chicken stock). Enjoy hot.
    topping soup in instant pot

Notes

*Use thick-cut deli ham cut into bite-sized pieces, or purchase pre-diced ham. Start the recipe by sautéing the ham cubes in 1 tablespoon olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from the pot. Increase the smoked paprika to 1 1/2 teaspoons; stir the cooked ham back into the soup at the end.
*TO SWAP BACON: separately sauté pieces of bacon, remove from pot, then stir back in at the end when soup is finished.
 
  • TO STORE: Place leftover soup in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
  • TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm this soup in a Dutch oven on the stove over medium-low heat until hot. You can also reheat this soup in the microwave.
  • TO FREEZE: Store soup in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 425kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 27gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 21mgPotassium: 1185mgFiber: 21gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 7244IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 114mgIron: 4mg
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