Instant Pot Split Pea Soup Recipe

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This split pea soup is wholesome, hearty, healthy and vegetarian and takes less than 30 minutes in an instant pot or pressure cooker. It's made with dried split peas, celery, and a few simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. A perfect winter soup. Serve it with a side of salad, some crusty bread and you have a scrumptious meal.

Being raised by a single mother meant we lived a hand to mouth kinda life. Some days were good and some were bad. Mom tried as much as she could to make sure she fed us well. The meat was not always available to us. But lentils, legumes, and dried beans were a common staple in our home. My mom made them at least twice a week, if not more.

Of course, they are cheaper than other foods and they have a long shelf life in the pantry. So you can stock them up in the corner of your pantry and get them out whenever you need. Which is what my mom often did. I always thought we ate these because we were poor. And yet, over the years I have learned about their health benefits and how nutritious they are.

How to make split pea soup in a pressure cooker

My mom didn't have an instant pot. Back in the day, she had a pressure cooker. I grew up using a pressure cooker all my life and I always made my split pea soup in a pressure cooker.

Recently, I was fascinated with the hype of the Instant Pot so I got myself an IP as a Christmas gift. I was so excited. Honestly, I thought it would take some learning but once I figured how to open and close it, it was easier and much safer than a pressure cooker.

Below I have given you instructions for both, how to make this split pea soup in an Instant Pot as well as how to make it in a pressure cooker. The video shows the instant pot version.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Split Peas - What are split peas? The green split pea is the same as the green peas but processed differently. To make split pea, the green pea is peeled and dried. You can also get yellow split peas and they would work just as well for this recipe.
• Onion - I love red onions because they are sweeter and work great for soups. And yet, they also add a bit of color. Today I have used white onions.
• Garlic - A little goes a long way. And if you prefer, you can also add 1 tsp garlic powder.
• Parmesan- Adds a nice nutty and sharp flavor to the soup. I highly recommend not omitting it. You can replace it with another mature cheese to make it vegetarian.
• Bay leaves - I think bay leaves add a nice flavor to the soup. You can add oregano instead.
• Thyme - Dried herbs go great when cooking in the slow cooker. I usually use dried thyme, and yet feel free to also add fresh.
• Stock - Vegetable (chicken or beef) stock is perfectly fine. You can also add a cube of chicken stock with water.

Step by step instructions (pin)

Soak Peas

• Check the split peas and sort for any unwanted peas.
• Wash and soak the split peas for at least an hour to 3 hours.
• Drain and wash well again and set aside.

Saute

• Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the Instant Pot.
• Saute the garlic, ginger, bay leaves for 30 seconds.
• Followed by celery and onion - saute until onions are translucent.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Then the chopped parsley and drained soaked split peas.
• Add 5 cups stock and stir well.

Pressure Cook in Instant Pot

• Close the instant pot and set it to manual. Make sure the vent in on the sealing position.

• Pressure cook for 25 minutes (see notes above).

• Allow pressure to natural release for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Then clear any remaining steam by venting again and open carefully.

Pressure cook in pressure cooker

• Close the pressure cooker - add the whistle.
• Set it on medium-high for 25 minutes (see notes above).
• Allow pressure to release naturally.
• Open pressure cooker carefully.

Finish the soup

• Remove the bay leaves and discard (don't forget this one).
• Use a hand blender, blend the soup to a smooth consistency.
• Add cornstarch to the milk and combine well.
• Then add milk mixture to the pea soup and mix well.
• Finally, add the Parmesan cheese and combine well.
• Check and adjust seasoning.
• Serve garnished with more parmesan cheese if desired.

Frequently asked questions

Salad & bread to serve with soup

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