Instant Pot Split Pea Soup with Ham

In the colder months, I find myself making soup once or twice a week. We'll have soup as a meal sometimes, and if it's a lighter soup, we'll accompany it with a sandwich. One of my go-to soup recipes is split pea soup. The original recipe had it cooking on a stovetop in a large pot or a Dutch oven, but I've found it's easier to cook it in my Instant Pot. I've made some minor changes to the recipe and I'm happy with the results. Enjoy!

You can prepare Split Pea Soup with ham in your Instant Pot.Photo byEsther Merbt / Pixabay

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of salted butter (half a stick)
• 2 cups of chopped onions
• 1 cup of diced carrots
• 1 cup of diced celery
• 1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons of Spice World Minced Garlic (or 2 cloves of fresh garlic)
• 1 pound bag of dried split peas, rinsed
• 1 large bay leaf (or 2 small)
• 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves (fresh preferred, but dry works too)
• 2 containers (32 ounces each) of Progresso Chicken Broth
• 1 cup of fully cooked diced ham
• Croutons for serving (optional)

Split Pea Soup with Ham makes a delicious cold-weather meal.Photo bySteve Buissinne / Pixabay

Directions:

1. Set your Instant Pot on Saute. Melt the butter. Add in the onions, carrots, celery, and black pepper. Cook until the vegetables are softened and starting to brown. Add in the minced garlic and cook for one additional minute. Add in the rinsed split peas, bay leaf, thyme, chicken broth, and 1/4 cup of diced ham. Stir and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
2. Close your Instant Pot and lock the lid, making sure the steam valve is closed. Set the Instant Pot on Pressure Cook (or Manual) for 15 minutes. It will take 10-15 minutes for the pot to pressurize.
3. Once the Split Pea Soup has finished cooking, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Then do a quick release with the remaining pressure. Open the Instant Pot.
4. Add in the remaining 3/4 cup of diced ham and stir. Taste the soup and if necessary, adjust the flavor with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot and top with croutons.

Saute ingredients and cook in your Instant Pot for an easy meal.Photo byKatherine ChaseonUnsplash

Many of my articles to date have dealt specifically with Lake County, Florida, but I'm expanding and covering recipes I enjoy. If you enjoy cooking in your Instant Pot, check out some of the other recipes that I've shared if you think you might enjoy them: Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff, Instant Pot Beef Tips, Instant Pot Chicken Stew, Chicken Marsala, Beef & Guinness Stew, Instant Pot Stuffed Pepper Soup, and Instant Pot Lasagna. If you cook in a slow cooker or in your Instant Pot on the slow cooker setting, here are a few more good options: Crockpot Mississippi Pot Roast, Crockpot Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Crockpot Merlot Beef, and Crockpot Herbed Chicken Stew.

Want to follow along? Great! Here's what you need to do - download the Newsbreak app, create a User Account, and follow me at Lake County Florida - Here's What's Happening! If this sounds like a good recipe to you and you think others may enjoy it as well, please share it with them. Enjoy!