Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe is quick and easy to make but tastes like it’s been on the stove all day!
One pot is all it takes to prep and cook this belly warming meal. Serve it with a side salad and some crusty bread for dipping.
A Flavorful Favorite
- Split Pea Soup is a hearty entrée soup that we love.
- It’s such a great way to use up that leftover ham from any occasion.
- We love this recipe because it makes a traditional split pea soup recipe super quick without sacrificing flavor!
- This budget-friendly favorite uses simple ingredients yet has great flavor.
Ingredients
HAM I use both bacon & ham for an extra boost of flavor. If you only have one or the other, double up the amount.
If you’re lucky enough to have a hambone, cook it right in the split peas, and remove it later and add the meat from the bone into the soup.
SPLIT PEAS Split pea soup is similar to Lentil Soup, but it’s richer and creamier. Use green or yellow split peas.
CHICKEN BROTH adds extra savory flavor, especially for this Instant Pot version. Traditional ham bone broth can sometimes take hours to cook, but using premade chicken broth makes this soup just as savory!
VEGETABLES Fresh veggies like carrots, celery, garlic, & onion are staples for split pea and ham soup and add to the base flavor. Don’t forget the herbs, thyme and parsley, bay leaf and black pepper!
How to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is a breeze to make.
- Sauté veggies with chopped bacon in the Instant Pot. Add garlic last.
- Add remaining ingredients & pressure cook (per recipe below).
- Stir in fresh parsley, season, and serve.
To Soak or Not to Soak?
Technically, split peas don’t need to be soaked, especially when cooking in the Instant Pot.
But if you want to make sure that split peas will be easier to digest, soak them with a bay leaf for at least 4 hours or overnight. Rinse thoroughly before adding to the soup. Cook time can be reduced by about 5-6 minutes.
Tips & Tricks
- If you have the time, try making homemade bone broth by covering the ham bone with water and simmering in the Crockpot for 8 hours or overnight. Then make split pea and ham soup with the broth from the ham bone instead of, (or in addition to) chicken broth. Leftover broth can be frozen and used in other recipes.
- No energy to make soup the day after a big feast? No problem. Just freeze the ham bone for another time when a bowl of delicious soup is in the plan!
- For an extra creamy soup, use an immersion blender in the soup, before adding in parsley and chopped ham. Leave some chunkiness for texture, or purée, if desired.
Leftovers
Split Pea & Ham soup can be kept in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. It freezes really well, too, making it great for batch cooking or meal prep! It will keep its flavor in the freezer for at least 3 months, and up to 6. To store, ladle cooled soup into individual serving-sized freezer bags or meal prep containers & mark with the date. Thaw desired portions in the refrigerator, then reheat on the stovetop. For best results use defrosted portions within 2 days.
Our Fave Savory Soups
- Potato Broccoli Soup – so easy to make
- Creamy Tortellini Soup – with bacon
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup – hearty & healthy
- Lasagna Soup – a one-pot meal
- Sausage & Kale Soup – ready in 30 minutes
Did your family enjoy this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried split peas green or yellow green or yellow
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 slices bacon uncooked, finely diced
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 meaty ham bone or 2 cups leftover ham
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon thyme leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
Instructions
- Rinse peas and drain well.
- Turn a 6QT Instant Pot on to saute. Heat olive oil. Add bacon, onion, celery, and carrots.
- Cook 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Stir in garlic.
- Add remaining ingredients except for the parsley.
- Select manual, high pressure and set the timer to 17 minutes. Once time is up, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure.
- Discard bay leaf. If using a ham bone, remove any meat from the bone and stir back into the soup. Discard bone.
- Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Soup
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Like our recipes?
Follow us on Pinterest!
Hi Holly
can you tell me if I can go by the same recipe as the 6 quart instant pot for the pea and ham soup if I use my 8 quart one?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Alice, but that should work just fine. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I don’t usually leave recipe reviews but this soup was so delicious that I felt like I should! The consistency and flavor were just right. Thanks for a great meal.
I am so happy to hear you loved this recipe Kathy!
Made this today and I absolutely love it. I didn’t make any changes other than I only had dried parsley on hand so I used that at the end. This was so good!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe Jackie!
Soup was super easy to make and my 20 yr old son loved it… I used a little butter instead of the bacon and was perfect !
I am so glad you and your son enjoyed this soup Melissa!
Wow this recipe is a game changer for me! I always used to make split pea soup in the crockpot, but this is SO much faster and just as delicious! Thanks so much for sharing.
So happy you loved this recipe, Lisa!
Fabulous flavor from the ham bone and its meat! So, so good; real comfort food. Easy to do, too. Thank you, Holly!
Glad you loved it Jackie, the bone definitely adds great flavor!
Best split pea soup I’ve ever had!
I used a ham bone, leftover ham and bacon pieces.
Mmmm, that sounds delicious, Nikki! Thanks for sharing!
One of the tips is to simmer the ham bone overnight for broth. I wonder if it would work to pressure cook it for an hour instead?
I haven’t tried that Nesta, but I can’t see why not! Let us know if you try making the broth in a pressure cooker!
I tried it using a ham bone, some celery leaves and a parmesan rind that were in the freezer with a couple of quarts of water and it came out great!
The finished soup was delicious! I’m fairly new to the Instant Pot, and I loved the convenience as well as this ingredient combo :)
I’ve been looking for soup recipes. I’m diabetic & trying to get my numbers under control.
Any suggestions?
While I don’t have recipes tailored specifically to diabetics, please check out the Healthy Recipes section of Spend With Pennies. You may also be interested in my Easy Low Carb website. Enjoy!
I don’t have an instant pot. What about the crockpot or stove top? Thanks so much. Looks like a great recipe.
Check out this split pea soup Marcia! You can follow the instructions there.