Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

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Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Farro wins the award for easiest soup of the year!  Throw everything into the pot and minutes later you'll be rewarded with a thick, hearty soup.  Bonus: no ham hock required here 🙂

I apologize in advance if I accidentally convince you not to try this soup by proclaiming that it just might be the ugliest soup I've ever created.

A quick Google search, however, made me realize that split pea soup actually gets the prize for “least attractive” globally.

But that doesn't matter because one big spoonful of it later you're grinning from ear to ear proclaiming, “This ugly duckling of a soup tastes amazing!!!”

All whilst your child is pouting at the other end of the table because you told him he has to at least try it before he gets a 5th roll.

But let's not listen to his opinion because I'm telling you: this soup is ridiculously good, crazy easy, and super nutritious. It can be as unattractive as it wants because I will love it no matter how greenish-brown and lumpy it may appear!

Unlike the typical split pea soup that calls for a fatty ham hock or ham bone (which I've had on hand exactly zero times in my entire life), I simply use thick-cut slices of black forest deli ham to bring tons of non-greasy, salty/smoky flavor.

So if you don't own a ham hock at the moment, this is the split pea recipe for you!

Another twist I gave this soup is my favorite non-mainstream grain: farro.  This soup is very smooth and creamy and left me wanting a little bit more to chew on.  Farro in all its delicious, chewy, nuttiness was the answer.

Whether you've had this soup a million times or have never seen it before and are wondering what in the world I was thinking . . . it's time to give it a try because this soup is da bomb!

WHY YOU WILL LOVE INSTANT POT SPLIT PEA SOUP

• ZERO HAM HOCKS NEEDED HERE:  As I mentioned, you don't need to go beg a ham bone off of someone during the holiday season to make this.  Diced ham is all you're gonna need!
• NUTRITIOUS POWERHOUSE:  This soup is loaded with good-for-you ingredients like split peas, vegetables, and farro.  It's got protein and fiber for days!
• NEXT LEVEL THICK AND CREAMY:  Unlike many of my soups that require blending a portion of the soup or making a roux to make it thick and creamy, the split peas do all the work here.  You simply stir and serve when the soup is done cooking.
• CRAZY EASY:  Like, “I'm-going-to-teach-my-kids-how-to-use-the-pressure-cooker-with-this-soup”-easy.  Throw everything in and press start.
• FARRO:  I love this nutty little grain so much I created an entire blog post about it here, then created a salad to complement it here.  It gives this smooth soup something to chew on.  It's like finding a prize in your bowl.

HOW TO MAKE SPLIT PEA SOUP IN THE PRESSURE COOKER

1. Throw everyone into the pot and hit start
2. That's it; you're done
3. Add some chicken broth to thin it out a bit if you like

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• HAM TIPS:  You can really use any leftover ham you have on hand or diced ham from the refrigerated section of the grocery store.  But what I really think you should do is go to your deli, ask them to give you a few pieces of thick cut BLACK FOREST HAM (my favorite), and then you can dice it up at home.  It really gives the best flavor to this soup.
• ADJUSTING THE THICKNESS:  Split pea soup is thick and gets even thicker as it sits (and even thicker once it's cold).  Have a box of chicken broth on hand to loosen it up if needed.  Another option I've tried is to use only a half-pound of split peas in the soup; however, then you have half a bag of split peas to find something to do with . . .
• FARRO THOUGHTS:  I love the addition of farro because it gives something to bite on in an otherwise very creamy and, dare I say, mushy soup.  You can leave it out if you prefer.
• NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE:  Like with dried beans, split peas create a lot of starch and an immediate quick release could result in a mess spraying from the pressure release valve.  Make sure to let the pot sit for 10-15 minutes so the foam can settle before releasing the remaining pressure.

HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE

• STORE:  Cool leftovers and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• REHEAT:  Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.  Add water or chicken broth to smooth it out.
• FREEZE:  This soup freezes really well.  Place cooled leftovers in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.  To eat, let thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as directed above.

MAKE AHEAD TIPS

Dice ham, onion, celery, and carrots a few days in advance if desired.  This will make it super easy to dump everything into the pot and go.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH SPLIT PEA SOUP

The perfect side to split pea soup is a hunk of Whole Wheat Crusty Bread.  It makes the perfect vehicle for scooping and dunking.  Otherwise, I typically serve a light romaine lettuce salad with whatever veggies I have hanging out in the fridge or add a side of fruit.  This hearty soup contains all the food groups so it really doesn't need much on the side.

VARIATIONS

• VEGETARIAN SPLIT PEA SOUP:  Omit the ham and use vegetable broth instead of chicken.  Add a teaspoon of liquid smoke if you like to bring back the smoky flavor that ham gives it.
• SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HOMEMADE CROUTONS:  Instead of crusty bread, bake up some homemade croutons with whatever leftover bread you have hanging around.  Much better than store-bought croutons!
• SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH BACON:  You can swap the ham for bacon if you like.  Cook bacon until crisp, then add it to the soup to cook instead of the ham.  Save some crispy bacon for topping.

If there were ever a food to teach us the age ol' lesson of “it's not what's on the outside but what's on the inside that counts”, this would be the one.

I adore it with my whole heart and it got 2 thumbs up from my mama who claimed she was fine with the canned version (not anymore!).

Let me know what you think and if you got all your kids to eat it, I'm dying to know (and tell my kids).

Enjoy!

MORE INSTANT POT SOUP RECIPES WITH BEANS/LEGUMES

• Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Creamy Cauliflower Soup
• Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT SPLIT PEA SOUP

• Instant Pot

This recipe was inspired by Mel's Split Pea Soup with Barley.  I used to make it in the slow cooker for my daughter when she was a toddler all the time.  I tweaked the ingredients a little, used a whole bag of split peas, and adjusted it for the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is thick, creamy, and hearty.  Perfect for a cold day!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Soup
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 pound dry split peas, sorted and rinsed
• ½ cup farro
• 2 cups diced ham
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients to the pressure cooker pot; stir.  
2. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes.  
3. When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10-15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
4. Remove bay leaves and stir.  
5. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if needed.  Add extra broth or water if a thinner soup is desired.
6. Serve immediately with warm crusty bread for dipping.

Notes

• This is a very thick, hearty soup.  If you like it thinner, you can use only ½ pound of split peas or add extra chicken broth as needed after it’s pressure cooked.
• For the ham, I like to have the deli cut me a few thick of black forest ham (about ¼ inch thick) then I just cube it up.
• The addition of farro gives the soup a delightful chew.  It can be left out if you prefer.
• Make sure to allow at least a 10 minute natural pressure release.  Split peas are quite starchy and can create a lot of foam that could spray from the valve if you don’t let it rest a minute.

Keywords: Instant Pot Split Pea Soup, Healthy Split Pea Soup, Healthy Soup Recipe

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