InstaPot Split Pea Soup

Sue and I shared our Crock Pot Split Pea Soup recipe (HERE)  and it turned into a family favorite. 

It just made sense when Sue bought me an InstaPot this year for our birthday to try it in the new machine. It's basically the exact same recipe with a few slight adjustments to fit the new cooking method. In the pressure cooker you go from start to finish in under 40 minutes. 

I usually use green split peas but our local grocery store was out so I used yellow split peas. It actually is a much prettier color than the green. The taste is the same though, in case you were wondering. 

InstaPot Split Pea Soup

Ingredients

3 Tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ham bone

1 lb split peas, rinsed

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

Directions

Turn InstaPot to saute. Melt the butter and saute the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic for about 5 minutes - until vegetables soften. 

Add in the ham bone, split peas, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaves, and salt & pepper. 

Cover the InstaPot and set to manual high for 17 minutes. 

When complete, allow pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.

Remove ham bone from the pot and cut off any ham from the bone.

I like to then take a hand blender and puree the soup for a few seconds. You want to leave some chunks so a few pulses in the soup should do the trick. (You don't have to do this, I just like the texture better.) Now place the ham back into the soup and discard the bone.

Serve hot with a little hot sauce, if desired.

Remember to save your ham bone from the next big dinner so you can make a batch of this! It freezes very well too so no need to worry about making too much. 

My favorite way to eat it? With soooo many crackers, of course. 

Split pea soup is hearty and healthy and delicious and inexpensive. It's also a great recipe to introduce you to cooking in an InstaPot. 

The perfect cold weather meal!