Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Name: Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 31 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion ((large, chopped in chunks)); 4 carrots ((4 - 6)); 2 stalks celery ((sliced)); 4 cups beef broth; 2 cups water; 2 cups split peas ((rinsed and picked over)); 1 ham bone ((optional)); 2 cups smoked pork shoulder ((or ham, chopped in bite sized pieces)); 1/8 cup sherry ((dry)); 1/8 cup white wine ((dry)); 3/4 teaspoon salt; 2 bay leaves

ByElaine Posted onDecember 15, 2022January 24, 2023 Updated onJanuary 24, 2023

Jump to Recipe

This 30-minute Instant Pot split pea soup is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Made with tender split peas, smoked pork shoulder, and fresh vegetables, you won’t be able to get enough of this hearty, creamy, and flavorful dish!

two crocks filled with pea soup with a serving bowl behind it

I love this pea soup so much not only because of how comforting and delicious it is, but I especially like the taste of the smoky flavor of the smoked shoulder.

My sister gave all of her children Instant Pots, pressure cookers for Christmas one year. The following Easter, she hosted the family dinner. A week before the holiday, my nephew Bryan texted to ask if I would give him a ‘lesson’ in the instant pot when we were together. Of course I said yes, as my instant pot and I are on very good terms.

You could say I have smooched its shiny cheek more than once.

During a lull in the festivities, Bryan brought his IP in from the car and I started telling him how it worked and how to use it. I guess the rest of his siblings didn’t realize Bryan had asked me in advance for the demonstration. They thought I loved my IP so much that I would spontaneously start schooling people on all of its glorious attributes.

I was too busy talking to hear, but later Christopher told me that everyone looking on agreed I sounded like an infomercial. The only thing missing was free samples!

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I get a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you click the link and buy something. You can read my disclosure here.

Helpful tips

I chose to sauté the vegetables but you don’t have to. Want to save some calories on the oil? Omit it and also skip the sautéing, just throw all the ingredients together in the IP.
I use beef broth in this recipe because of the robust flavor, but if you prefer, you can use chicken broth instead.
The instant pot always takes around 10 – 15 minutes to come to pressure, so if you are planning on timing your meal, factor that in.
Also, if you aren’t going to do a quick release of the pressure, you must factor in that time as well. The instant pot takes between another 15 – 25 minutes to release the pressure.
If I’m in a hurry, I usually wait 5 minutes, then don an oven mitt and release the pressure manually but tapping at the venting knob. Be careful, the steam can burn you.
You can make this alcohol free by substituting it with 1/4 cup more broth or leave out altogether for a slightly thicker soup.
Use dry sherry or wine because dry spirits contain noticeably less sugar and you don’t want your soup to have more sugar than is already found in the peas, onions and carrots. It would be too sweet.
You can make this vegetarian or vegan by using vegetable broth and omitting the cooked smoked pork shoulder or ham.
Have leftover soup? You can either store it in an airtight container in the fridge for at least a week, or in the same container in the freezer for 3 months.
Sometimes I’ll add 3 crushed garlic cloves to this soup but I didn’t have any when I made it.

Ingredients and substitutions

Split green peas – rinsed and picked over.
Carrots – cut into chunks.
Celery stalks – cut into slices.
Onion – Vidalia or yellow.
Beef broth – or chicken broth.
Water
Dry sherry – this can be omitted but adds such wonderful flavor.
White wine – dry like sauvignon blanc or Pinot Grigio.
Ham bone – also optional but also adds flavor.
Smoked shoulder – or ham hock, or leftover ham.
Salt – sea salt
Bay leaves

How to make IP pea soup

Step one

Gather the ingredients – split peas, chunked carrots, chopped onion and celery.

Split peas, carrots, onions and celery on a black board

Step two

Get out your instant pot or pressure cooker and plug it in. Press the saute button and after one minute, add oil.

Step three

Wait another minute for the oil to heat, then add the onions and sauté for 2 minutes.

Step four

Add carrots and celery, sauté for 2 minutes.

Step five

Gather the other ingredients – dry sherry, beef broth, and dry white wine

Dry sherry, beef broth and white wine on a black table

Step six

Add broth, water, split peas, sherry, wine, smoked pork shoulder or diced ham, bay leaves and salt.

Place the lid on the instant pot and seal it, make sure the vent knob is in the sealing position and press soup/broth button – make sure the mode is normal, and set to high pressure. Set the timer to 20 minutes.

Step seven

After the instant pot beeps that it is done cooking, either do a quick release by donning an oven mitt and lightly tap the venting knob to the venting position, or you can just wait 15 – 25 minutes for the pressure to release on its own.

I pour the instant pot split pea soup into my lovely casserole dish and gather ’round some pita rounds and a salad.

A mustard colored casserole dish filled with pea soup. There are some pita bread in a bowl, a salad and a pepper mill in the background

I ladle the split pea soup into my serving bowls. I grind black pepper on my soup but not Christopher’s.

two crocks filled with the pea soup with pita and the serving bowl

Let’s look at a close up of the soup.

close up of ham and pepper in the split pea soup

I hope you enjoyed this instant pot split pea soup recipe! It’s thick, delicious and cooks so fast you barely have time to get out your dishes and set the table!

Other comforting meals

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!