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Two crocks filled with pea soup with a spoon in the front one. There is ham and carrots on the top of the soup - square
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Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

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!
Course Dinner
Cuisine Soup
Keyword instant pot pea soup, pea soup
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Total Time 31 minutes
Servings 7 cups
Calories 286kcal

Equipment

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

Instructions

  • Plug in instant pot and press the sauté button.  Once the IP heats up, add olive oil and onions and sauté for 2 minutes
  • Add carrots and celery and sauté them for 2 minutes
  • Add broth, water, split peas, pork bone if using, smoked pork shoulder, sherry, wine, bay leaves, and salt.  Seal IP, making sure that the pressure knob is in the sealed position 
  • Press the soup/stew button - it will default to 20 minutes on normal
  • Once the timer beeps, you can either let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes or you can be in a hurry like me, don an oven mitt and carefully tap the release valve letting little spirts of steam out.  After a minute of tapping, turn the pressure relief from sealed to venting
  • Either transfer the instant pot split pea soup in a soup tureen or ladle directly in some soup crocks
  • Eat
  • Enjoy

Notes

Tips on making this soup
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 286kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 1206mg | Potassium: 678mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg