What happens when an unusually cool Autumn breeze blows by and I get a sudden craving for split pea soup, but am waaay too tired to do any actual cooking? I grab a bag of split peas, toss them into my pressure cooker with a few vegetables, broth, and spices, and let the machine do it’s time warp magic. About 45 minutes later I opened the lid to a thick, rich, and flavorful split pea soup. This Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup was seriously one of the easiest thing I’ve ever cooked (and cheapest!).
To Ham or Not to Ham?
This split pea soup is vegetarian (vegan, even) because I wasn’t in the ham mood, but you could certainly add a ham hock or some cubed ham to the pot before you turn it on. To keep the soup rich and give it body without ham, I added a couple dollops of coconut oil. To mimic the smoky flavor of ham, I added a hefty dose of smoked paprika. Liquid smoke would also do well. The finished soup was filling, but light, and full of that cozy fall flavor that I love. :)
What Kind of Pressure Cooker are You Using?
I used my 6 qt. 7-in-1 Instant Pot (affiliate link), but any pressure cooker will work.
To make this in a slow cooker:
Toss everything into your slow cooker instead of a pressure cooker and cook on high for four hours, or low for eight.
To make this on the stove top:
Sauté the onions and garlic in the coconut oil until soft. Add the carrots and celery and sauté just until they begin to soften. Add the remaining ingredients, bring the soup up to a simmer and let simmer until the peas have broken down and thickened the soup. Add a little water as needed during cooking to offset any evaporation.
And if those two options don’t work for you, here are two more split pea soups I’ve made: Split Pea, Bacon & Potato Soup Chunky Split Pea Soup, Vegan Split Pea Soup.
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Servings 6 9 cups totalIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.25)
- 3 carrots ($0.32)
- 3 ribs celery ($0.50)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 lb split peas ($1.09)
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil* ($0.47)
- 1 bay leaf ($0.15)
- 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika ($0.15)
- 1/4 tsp thyme ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 6 cups vegetable broth ($0.81)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, slice the carrots and celery, and mince the garlic. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the pressure cooker along with all the remaining ingredients.
- Secure the lid on the pressure cooker, close the steam valve, and set the cooker to high pressure for 15 minutes (Instant Pot: Manual function, set time to 15 minutes). After 15 minutes of high pressure, allow the cooker to release pressure naturally. (Total cook time with coming up to pressure, cooking, and natural pressure release is approximately 45 minutes.)
- Once the cooker returns to normal pressure, open the steam valve, open the lid, and stir the soup. Taste and adjust the salt or other seasonings as needed. Serve hot with crusty bread for dipping.
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Notes
Nutrition
Love Instant Pot recipes? Check out my Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice or Pressure Cooker Red Beans!
How to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup – Step by Step Photos
Start by dicing one onion, slicing three carrots and three ribs of celery, and mincing two cloves of garlic. Place the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the pressure cooker. The garlic in the photo is just “crushed” rather than minced, but it would have been better to have minced it.
Also add 1 lb. split peas, 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or the cooking oil of your choice), 1 bay leaf, 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp thyme, and some freshly cracked pepper.
Finally, add six cups of vegetable broth and give everything a quick stir to combine (I use Better Than Bouillon to make my broth).
Close the lid on the pressure cooker, close the steam valve, and set the cooker to 15 minutes of high pressure. For the Instant Pot, I just hit the “manual” button and reduced the time from 30 to 15 minutes. Total time in the cooker ends up being about 45 minutes when you include the time it takes to come up to pressure and the time it takes to release pressure (natural release). It is not suggested to use quick release when cooking legumes because they can become foamy and clog the steam valve.
After the cooker returns to normal pressure naturally, open the steam valve then open the lid. Stir the soup until it is thick and creamy. It will look watery on top at first, but will become thick as you stir. Taste the soup and adjust the salt or other seasonings to your liking.
And seriously, that’s ALL! Soup is served! The soup does thicken quite a bit more once cooled and it stays fairly thick after reheating the leftovers. They’re almost like mashed potato texture the next day, but that’s okay with me! Still totally delicious and filling. P.S. try topping your bowl of pea soup with some homemade croutons!
I made just as directed and this soup was delicious! I was a little hesitant on not using any pork, but the smoked paprika really shines and adds great flavor. It was quick to make and everyone in my family gobbled it up! Paired well with some Kings Hawaiian buns 😁
I omitted the oil and used chicken stock – also added 1tsp smoked chipotle pepper flakes. Yum! (A little salty though – would use less than the recommended ratio for better than bullion)
Will try better than bullion’s sauteed onion base next time for a fully vegetarian soup.
My 13 month old loved it too!
Loved this recipe! The smoked paprika is a really nice touch. Also this recipe was so easy. I had been using the same vegetarian split pea soup recipe for years, but the BudgetBytes recipe has taken its place.
This was excellent! Split pea soup is one of my favorites. I used just a little less water because I like my soup thicker. I also added a bit more smoked paprika at the very end. Served with homemade bread and it was perfect on a cold night.
I make this soup at least 2 times per month, so I figured I should come back to leave a comment. The only thing I did differently is to leave out the oil. This is such a great recipe, thank you so much for sharing! ❤️
This is the best vegetarian split pea soup I have ever had. We love bold flavor, so I added a little extra garlic and smoked paprika. I will definitely make recipe again!
Wow it really does thicken up in the fridge overnight. I did the recipe as described except I also added a diced 1.5 lb yellow potato. The split peas were almost completely dissolved. I might try 10 minutes next time. Also, with this recipe, after 30 minutes of waiting for pressure to release naturally, I manually released the pressure, and to my surprise, there was still quite a bit of steam.
Hi Beth,
I have been following your blog for quite some time (the enchilada casserole is my absolute favourite!) I made this soup today and it was simply amazing and perfect for the Canadian winter. I did not have celery and I subbed yellow split peas for green. I did add some frozen mixed vegetables and 2 chopped potatoes. I also subbed smoked paprika with smoked chipotle. Thank you for the work you do and the high quality photos you post with every recipe.
I made this vegan split pea soup tonight. It is wonderful!! I wouldnt change a thing.
Thanks Bernadette!
I love this soup! I add a Tbsp of liquid smoke to really make it delicious.
Amazingly easy and delicious. The instapot is a game changer. I followed the recipe as is and wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks!
I used a cuisinart pressure cooker and it took 20 min on high pressure.I added a handful of chopped fresh parsley and 3 oz of Canadian bacon chopped.I added 2 Shakes of Worcestershire Sauce and Emeril’s essence(BAM).Delish.I also substituted olive oil for the coconut oil.
Wow…I’m impressed! Came out perfectly. Thanks.
The recipe is absolutely delicious! It is a regular winter staple now. The prices are a little silly though at least here in California. The true cost of the meal is closer to $10 which is still reasonable.
This is the first recipe I made in the instapot. I have made it several times and it always comes out amazing. Thank you !!!