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Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Instant Pot split pea soup in a white bowl garnished with parsley and sour cream

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5 from 2 reviews

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

Ingredients

Scale
  • 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.