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.
Did you know commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe or have a question, please click the stars below to comment and Rate this Recipe and/or share photos on social media using the hashtag #bowlofdelicious or tagging @bowlofdelicious!
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:
Lindsey
I make this vegan and it’s been a keeper recipe in my rotation for a few of years now! I used to make it with ham before I went vegan and it’s just as tasty without it and a nice healthy recipe both myself and my husband enjoy. Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Chris R.
Exceptionally yummy!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Chris R.
Amazing!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Isaac
I just made this. I did make a few alterations, but simply due to personal preference. My alterations in no way enhanced this recipe beyond Elizabeth’s original instructions. My wife and I don’t eat pork/beef, so I diced up half of a turkey kielbasa instead. I added three small potatoes, diced. I used just under 7 cups of water with 2 rounded tsp of chicken broth powder. Finally, I added 2 large cloves of garlic, minced. After sauteing per the instructions, I cooked on manual for 18 minutes. It was RIDICULOUSLY delicious. Like, seriously. Thanks for sharing.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! Great idea to use turkey kielbasa instead of ham.
Chantal
This was great. It’s pretty much exactly the same recipe I always use on the stove, but I needed to know how to do it in the Instant Pot. When I do it on the stove, I cook it low for 1 3/4 hours to get the meat falling off the bone and the connective tissue like jelly. I found that following your time instructions exactly didn’t yield the same results. Next time I’ll try 25 minutes instead of 15. Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it! If you cook it for longer, just be careful about the peas cooking too much. You may want to cook everything BUT the peas (ham bone and water) for a while in the IP, then add the peas and cook for the designated time. Actually, thinking through this – this is a GREAT idea! The ham flavor would infuse the liquid more (you could get away with water instead of broth more easily here), and have time to get a bit gelatinous as well from the bone and the meat more tender. If you try this, I’d love to know how it turns out! Thanks for bringing this up!!
Teri
I’ve always been a lover of pea soup, but this was the first time using an instant pot to make it. LOVED the incredible creamy consistency this cooking method gave. It was simple to make and I got great results!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Jo
Glad I found this. Best split pea soup ever. I did stove top and was my best yet!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Nancy
Made this today using a meaty ham bone and more sliced ham from our freezer. Defrosted first. Followed the exact recipe and was surprised how tasty and super easy it was. Thank you so much. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Tom
Adding a garlic clove In the saute mix will definitely enhance the flavor.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for the tip! I prefer without garlic but many people like it with.
KevinC (Keri)
Leaving 5 stars but am actually in the process of cooking now. Instead of ham I’m using country rib meat that I’ve cubed am and cooking separately. Once browned and pink is gone I’ll add to the mix for ham as above and set things to cooking! Thanks for the recipe. I’ll come back and let you k ow what the huz and I think. Now… biscuits or cornbread?
—Kevin
Elizabeth Lindemann
I love using rib meat in split pea soup! I’ve used leftover smoked spicy ribs before and it was sooo yummy. I vote cornbread :-) Hope you liked it!
Teresa
Absolutely perfect! I did not have enough split pea so I added the rest in barley. Spectacular and hearty.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it, and great idea to add barley to the mix!
Kirstie
I have made this recipe several times and it always comes out fantastic! I like to puree the peas so I try and get all the meat out with the bone, puree and then return the meat. So delicious with some bread on a cold day. Thanks for the great recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Teresa Roark
Thank you! Followed recipe except bay leaves, darn it love bay leaf in soups. Delish!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Sal
We love this recipe! Easy, quick, and delicious! My go to for comfort food!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Denise
I needed to make this soup in a pinch and didn’t have carrots or celery, but I did have everything else. I still made it and it was DELICIOUS. So, if you’re stuck without the carrots or celery like I was, still make it. IT WAS A BIG HIT. I’m sure the missing ingredients would make it even better.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Victoria
I have been making this at least once a month for months now. It is easy, filling, and so good! I actually prefer to use the bone and some additional smoked ham. It is perfect for a rainy or cool night.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Kevin
Easy recipe to follow. Good and fun narrative. Good photos. I am making the soup now in my six-quart Instant Pot (aka an electric pressure cooker).
Thank you Elizabeth!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
ELAINE
Hi. I made this today in my instant pot per the instructions, but it was no way near ready after the cook time. Any ideas what I did wrong. The peas are hard. I’ve put it on for another 10 minutes to see what happens. I am a newbie with my instant pot, but I have done AA few things.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Dried legumes of any sort will vary in cooking times mostly depending on their age. Different brands or stores will sell dried split peas that may have a longer time since harvest. The other common error people sometimes make here is using whole dried peas instead of split, which will definitely make the cooking time longer. The cooking time suggested works most of the time but if the peas aren’t cooked fully with it, no harm in adding a little more time! It probably just means your dried peas were a bit on the older side. Hope that helps!
Deborah adams
Sounds yummy let you know if it good when I.done
Elizabeth Lindemann
Hope it turned out great for you!
Tony
Peas were not cooked after the recommended time ☹️
Elizabeth Lindemann
Oh no! Were you by chance using whole dried peas instead of split? That’s a common problem I’ve found that some run into. Otherwise, I’ll say that not all dried legumes are the same. The older they are, the longer they take to cook. There can be varieties amongst brands in terms of age, size, etc. If this happens again (or to anyone else reading these comments), just add a few minutes on to the instant pot cooking time – if you check it and the peas aren’t cooked, just put the cover back on and cook for a few more minutes with the same settings. Hope that helps!
Sara Griffin
Quick and easy! Made the vegetarian version, it was hearty and good. I added turnips as well.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Chrissy
Awesome recipe!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Frank luke
I commented but forgot the five stars it deserves.
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thank you for this! :-)