This Instant Pot Split Pea Soup, made with a leftover ham bone (or any other ham), is a game-changer. The pressure cooker cuts the cooking time in half and imparts the flavor of the ham into every scrumptious bite. It’s so simple, but SO delicious. And it’s ridiculously easy to make!
What are split peas?
Dried split peas are part of a food group known as pulses, which include beans, chickpeas, peas, and lentils. I love cooking pulses in my pressure cooker because it takes such a short amount of time, meaning you can start it on a weeknight and have it ready in less than an hour for dinner. My last pressure cooker pulse creation was this Instant Pot Chili, made with dried kidney beans and ground beef.
I love cooking with split peas because they have many of the same health benefits as other pulses, but take a shorter time to cook and don’t require pre-soaking. And they are just so tasty!
And my favorite part about pulses: you get a lot of nutritional bang for your buck. They are one of the cheapest and healthiest foods out there- a whole 1lb. bag of split peas cost me only $0.89 when I made this recipe.
How to make split pea soup with a ham bone
If you’re planning on having ham this holiday season, do NOT throw out the bone! And don’t let the person hosting throw it out either. I fully plan on being “that person” who asks to take the turkey carcass home after Thanksgiving at my in-laws so I can make homemade turkey stock. I don’t care, I am who I am :-)
Adding a ham bone to split pea soup elevates it to a whole new level. There is a ton of flavor in the bone itself, as well as marrow and gelatin, which infuses into the soup as it cooks (which both thickens it and gives it many of the same health benefits as bone broth). And there’s also still likely a lot of meat left on the bone, which will easily come off after letting it simmer in the soup for so long.
Confession: I actually bought a whole ham JUST so I would have the bone to make this soup. Such is the life of a food blogger.
What to do if you don’t have a ham bone
You don’t have to be like me and buy a whole ham just for the bone! If you don’t have a ham bone – since it’s not very often in life that we come across them, is it? – you can definitely just use thick-cut diced ham, or a ham hock.
You can use a smoked turkey leg if you want a pork-free version.
And you can even make this soup vegetarian or vegan by omitting the ham and making a few other changes (see notes in recipe below).
What kind of pressure cooker to use
I made my Instant Pot split pea soup in (you guessed it!) an Instant Pot. It’s a very popular and high-quality pressure cooker, and I’ve been LOVING it.
You can even replace it for your slow cooker (it has a slow cooker setting as well). Pressure cookers not only cut the cooking time of things like pulses and tough cuts of meat wayyyyy down, but I find it also tends to cook things with better flavor than a slow cooker. It also has a sauté function, so you can cook up the mirepoix (that’s the fancy word for the celery, carrots, and onions) right in the pot.
Keep an eye out for black Friday sales- I got my six quart Instant Pot for only around $60 last year (what a deal!).
Don’t have a pressure cooker or instant pot? Just look at the recipe notes below for how to make this on your stovetop or in your slow cooker.
Other Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken, Broccoli, and Quinoa with Cheese
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Instant Pot Turkey Breast with Lemon and Thyme
- Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Instant Pot Fish Stew
Here’s a link to all of my pressure cooker/instant pot recipes! For a plant-based version, try this vegetarian split pea soup with potatoes, lemon, and dill.
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Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Ham
Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt. minimum size, see recipe notes for more info.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 carrots diced
- 1 ham bone a smoked ham hock or 6 oz. diced deli ham can also be used
- 1 lb. dry split peas sorted through and rinsed
- 6 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth or veggie stock, water, or a mixture
- 2 bay leaves
- kosher salt and black pepper (see notes)
- chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Turn pressure cooker to the "sauté" setting. Melt butter (3 tablespoons) and sauté onion, celery, and carrots for about 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the split peas, chicken stock (6 cups), ham bone (or hock or 6 oz. diced cooked ham), and the 2 bay leaves. Turn off the "sauté" function.
- Cover pressure cooker and set to manual, high pressure for 15 minutes.
- Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10-15 minutes. Then, quick release the pressure valve.
- If you used a ham bone or hock: remove the it from the soup and remove the ham meat that’s still attached to it. Add the ham meat back into the soup.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary (see notes). Serve immediately, or store in your refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Notes
- A note about salt: if you use salty chicken broth, you may not need to add any salt at all since ham is also usually very salty.
- The peas may take longer to cook depending on their age – the older dried legumes are, the longer they take to cook. This can vary based on brand, how long they’ve sat on grocery store shelves, or how long they’ve been in your pantry.
- If you want to use a frozen ham bone, you shouldn’t need to adjust the cooking time, since ham bones are technically already cooked, you’re just reheating it! Keep in mind though, the colder your ingredients are, the longer it will take to come to pressure.
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ham, use more salt and pepper, and make sure to use vegetable stock or water instead of chicken. For a vegan version, use olive oil instead of butter.
- If you don’t eat pork, you can substitute the ham bone for a smoked turkey leg.
- To make this in your slow cooker, add all ingredients (omitting the butter) to slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, or until split peas are cooked to desired tenderness.
- To make this on your stovetop, sauté veggies as instructed in a large pot. After adding the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for approximately one hour (or until split peas are cooked to desired tenderness).
- Ham usually comes cured/smoked, which means it’s cooked and ready to eat. However, sometimes stores sell “fresh ham,” which means it’s uncooked. Do NOT use fresh ham for this recipe- use already cooked, smoked, and/or cured ham.
- This soup will likely thicken once it cools and is refrigerated, especially if you use a ham bone to make it because of the gelatin. Thin out with water and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- I made this recipe in my 6 qt. Instant pot. It should work the same in an 8 qt., but you may need to cut the ingredients in half for a 3 qt. mini. You should also be able to double the batch in an 8 quart pressure cooker.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
DuPont Robert E
Instead of adding salt, add Maggi umami sauce. Real difference.
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried Maggi umami sauce, but it sounds amazing, I’ll have to give it a shot sometime!
Cindy
AMAZING!
This was the first time I used my insta pot & I was so nervous. How could it take such a short time? I’m a believer & my husband is over the Minnesota with this soup. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
SO happy this recipe turned you into a believer haha! I know right? It’s hard to believe how short a time it takes. So glad you liked it!
Nicole
I put in about 5 strips of chopped thick cut bacon instead of ham and the soup turned out AMAZING! Some of the best split pea soup I’ve ever had!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Bacon is a perfect substitute for the ham.
Karin Johannesson
yummy! I added a couple of potatoes, but otherwise it came out perfect. I also added a few cut up hot dogs for the kids. :)
Elizabeth Lindemann
Nothing wrong with that! Love that idea. I love using leftover grilled hot dogs, and I’ll have to remember that next time I make this soup! So glad you liked it!
Matt
My only suggestion would to be adding 1 or 2 cloves of garlic. I also like to add extra diced ham at the end for ham and pea soup.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and thanks for these suggestions!
Robyn Terry
So easy and we loved it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Charlie S.
I’m a bit new to Instant Pot, so this was a first try at soup. The recipe turned out great! Very flavorful and just the right mix of ingredients. Will make this one again. Thanks for a terrific recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Charlie S.
Update on day 2: Soup always improves with a little time; this was no exception. It was excellent the first day. On day 2 it’s easily a good as any split pea I’ve ever had. The only augmentation to the recipe is that I found that I needed to add a fair amount more liquid than the recipe called for, which I did as a split between water and chicken stock. It deserves the five stars most have given it. Great job Elizabeth Lindemann!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Aw yay! So glad to get this update!!
Penny
I have made this recipe three times we love it❤ I also add 1tsp tyme and garlic. Love it❤❤
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Meghan
Can we all agree anyone who doesn’t provide a salt measurement in a recipe should be banned from posting recipes.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hi Meghan! I honestly weigh this every time I make a recipe. The amount of salt you add often varies based on the other ingredients you are adding- how much salt is in the brand of ham and the chicken broth you use, in this case. That’s why I specified “salt to taste.” My husband, who isn’t a cook by nature, says this drives him crazy, too :-) For things like salad dressings or recipes without any added salty ingredients, I’ve been trying to do a precise measurement (admittedly, some of my older recipes don’t do this, but I’m on the road to improvement in making my recipes really clear). If I HAD to estimate, I’d suggest adding 1 teaspoon kosher salt to the pot. It’s also important to note that there are different kinds of salt with different tastes- for example, morton kosher salt has a much different amount of salt per teaspoon than Diamond crystal! (I use morton.) But if you are concerned about how much salt to add, just leave it out- the salt from the chicken broth and the ham will season it at first- then taste it when it’s done and see if it needs more (which it likely will). Hope that helps explain a little bit more. I know it’s frustrating to feel like the recipe isn’t complete, but don’t worry, you’ll get better at seasoning to taste the more you cook!
Jeannie
I disagree with Meghan. Instead of using a hambone I cut up a ham steak because that’s what I had available (plus I love ham steak). I like my food a little on the salty side, but I waited until I cooked the soup to add it. I’m glad I did, because it didn’t need any. It was amazing, by the way- better than the slit pea soup I’ve had at the last three restaurants where it was available! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and happy to hear you got the salt right from these instructions!
John-N-Margie
Great recipe! We just made this with a few very subtle changes. Our pack of ham was 8oz., not 6oz., we also added an extra stalk of celery and an extra carrot. The one big change we did was add 1/2 tsp of garlic powder (equivalent to 4 cloves of garlic). Great consistency and flavor. One thing I really like about your recipes is you include total time with heat up time and depressurization. Keep up the good work!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! And I’m also happy to hear the added heat up/depressurization times was helpful for you- being really thorough with my recipe instructions is something that’s important to me and I work really hard at, so it’s great to get this feedback. Thanks so much!
Ellen
Didn’t want leave the house to go buy a ham hock so I gently pre-cooked 3 slices of thick cut bacon and added them to the mix along with half a Russet potato diced prior to setting the timer as someone had suggested. It is just delicious!! The bay leaves really add a lot to the peas.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Yummm! Bacon is a worthy substitute for sure. So glad you liked it!
Dara Patton
This was the tastiest split pea soup I’ve ever made, with a perfect, creamy texture. I will only make split pea soup in an Instant Pot from now on. I substituted sliced andouille sausage for the ham for a different, spicy flavor.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh my goodness I am ALL IN on subbing andouille sausage! What a great idea! So glad you liked it :-)
Carmen
I made this with a couple of changes. I didn’t have celery on hand so had to omit that. I added a small can of diced chiles (the green ones). Used water and chicken flavor Better Than Bouillon, and some good quality “ends and pieces” bacon (I precooked it so the soup wouldn’t be greasy). It was phenomenal. My husband loved it. Simple, but perfectly flavored.
I did find that it took a LONG time for the pressure to release fully–possibly up to 45 minutes? But the texture and consistency were perfect.
Thanks! My first Instantpot split pea soup was a great success. :)
Elizabeth Lindemann
Love the idea of adding green chiles! And glad you liked the recipe :-) I just realized I wasn’t very clear in the instructions- after letting the pressure naturally release for 10-15 minutes, you should quick release the pressure. This should speed things up a bit. I’m going to go in and fix the recipe card right now to be more specific- thanks so much for bringing this to my attention!
Amy Hee
100% awesome! Came out perfectly!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Rachel
My mom and I loved this. We also added a cubed potato at the beginning, which turned out great. I like soups with a lot of stuff in it!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Love the idea of adding potatoes.
Kat
Love the flavor of this soup and really easy to make. Followed the recipe to a T.
It came out to watery for me. I like a thicker pea soup and the peas cooked down to a puree, a watery puree. Wish it had more of a body to it. But the taste is delish! Now I’m going to cook some more peas and hope it thickens somewhat.
Elizabeth Lindemann
It’s so funny, some people say it comes out thick and some people say it’s watery! If you have leftovers, you may find that the soup thickens up quite a bit once it’s been refrigerated. I think it might have to do with the kind of pressure cooker used, the size, age, and brand of split peas, and a number of other things. If you try it again, try simmering it for a few minutes in the instant pot to try to reduce the liquid a bit, which might thicken it up. Hope that helps, and so glad you liked the way it tastes!
Mary Jo
Greetings. I’ve often been told not to add chopped ham until the soup is done in order to keep the salty taste down. What are your thoughts about this?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I love adding the ham before cooking, because I think the flavors develop better. The smokiness from the ham seeps into everything, and if you’re using a bone, the marrow and collagen from the bone infuses the soup. The salt will technically be the same whether you add the ham before or after, and if you’re trying to keep an eye on too much salt, I suggest using low-sodium chicken broth and hold off on adding any added salt until the end. That said, I don’t think it would be BAD if you added the ham after cooking! Might make a nice garnish on top of each serving bowl. Hope this helps :-)
Jackie
This recipe is excellent. Comfort in a bowl. Thank you!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carol
This is just how I make it already except I don’t use bay leaves but add a touch of garlic salt! It comes out delicious
Elizabeth Lindemann
Love it! This recipe never fails!
Valerie
We love it, even my picky one, and have made this a couple times! The only thing I do add is some thyme spice because I like it. I have done beef broth when I didn’t have chicken broth, but be careful not to get too salty.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! And thanks for the tip about the beef broth and salt.