Easy, Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Easy, Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is the best pressure cooker recipe for leftover ham soup using ham bone or smoked ham hocks, broth, lentils, and other veggies. You can even make this soup in a slow-cooker. For a vegan-friendly, vegetarian dish omit the meat and use vegetable broth.

This post contains affiliate links. Please read my full disclosure here.

This post was originally published in 2019. It has since been updated.

FOR THE FULL LIST OF INGREDIENTS AND COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTIONS, PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST. BEFORE YOU SCROLL, THERE’S IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG POST.

Whether you need a reason to use up Easter or Thanksgiving holiday spiral ham leftovers, or just craving a warm, hearty soup, this dish is for you! 

After a big holiday, many are left wondering what to do with the ham bone. You make leftover ham soup!

Is split pea soup good for you? It can be! Split peas are loaded in nutrients, similar to beans. You can even cut the fat in this recipe by using turkey instead of ham.

This soup typically takes a few hours for the stovetop version. Using an electric pressure cooker will result in a total cook time of about an hour from start to finish.

What are Split Peas?

Split peas are a legume. They are similar to lentils but different. They come in green and yellow shades. The peas are hulled and split in half, which helps them cook faster without the need to soak them. Split peas are high in fiber and protein. Green split peas are sweeter and less starchy than yellow split peas. About 2 cups of split peas are in a pound.  You can read more about What Split Peas Are here.

Do You Need to Soak the Peas Before Cooking?

No, do not soak the split peas. Rinse the split peas and examine them for items that may need to be removed from the batch.

How to Make Split Pea Soup in an Instant Pot

1. Saute onions, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil.
2. Add in chicken broth, ham or a turkey leg, split peas, a bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper to the pot.
3. Seal and pressure cook for 15 minutes.
4. Perform a natural of release the steam for 15 minutes.
5. Cool before serving.

Cook Time/How Long to Cook

I like to cook it for 15 minutes and then natural release the steam for 15 minutes.

How Much Water is Needed

You will only need water for this soup if you choose not to use broth and use Better Than Bouillon instead. You will need 5 cups of water and a couple of tablespoons of the base.

Freezer Tips

Absolutely! This soup can be frozen in air-tight containers or freezer bags for 2-3 months. Defrost the soup overnight in the refrigerator. You can read more about How to Freeze Split Pea Soup here.

What to Pair With the Soup

• Air Fryer Pull Apart Cheese Bread
• Homemade Southern Cornbread
• Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
• Keto Low Carb Cornbread
• Croutons
• Sliced ham
• Sausage

Recipe Tips

• You can use any type of meat you want in this recipe. Traditionally it is made with ham. As such, ham hocks, a ham bone, or cubed ham can be used. You can even use bacon (I recommend you saute it in the Instant Pot first) or sausage. I’ve also made this recipe using a smoked turkey leg or turkey wing. My family has made the switch from ham hocks to turkey legs for a lot of our traditional recipes. I switch it up and use one or the other for this dish.
• You can add peeled, cubed potatoes to the soup if you wish. Potatoes only need to cook for 5 minutes in the Instant Pot. So you will have to cook them separately or use a second Instant Pot, or a standard cooking method.
• Instead of broth, you can combine Better Than Bouillon with water (5 cups of water, 2 tablespoons of base). You can use the ham or chicken flavored bases.
• For a vegan or vegetarian soup, omit the meat and use vegetable broth.
• You can use a slow-cooker in this recipe and cook the soup for 5-6 hours on Low.
• Freeze the soup for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot Soups

Instant Pot Baked Potato Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Zoodle Soup
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana Olive Garden Soup
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Instant Pot French Onion Soup
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili