Instant Pot Vegetable Split Pea Soup is a hearty vegetarian soup that gives you a bowl of warm comforting goodness on cold days. This dump and stir recipe is quick and easy to make so it’s perfect to throw together on a busy morning so you can pack this wholesome soup for lunch. Not a morning person? This split pea soup stores well so you can make it ahead of time and pack this for lunch or eat it for dinner all week long.
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Why should I make soup in the Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker?
The pressure cooker shines at making soup recipes so simple and fast. For example, the Instant Pot turns this soup into a dump and stir recipe turning split pea soup into a simple, straightforward soup that tastes as if it is been slow-cooked. Plus, using the Instant Pot to make split pea soup means no soaking the peas required! It’s fast enough that you could make this Instant Pot Split pea soup Monday morning before school or work, but it reheats and saves well so you could make it ahead on the weekend.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot, it might look pretty scary. There are a lot of buttons with different functions that can be very overwhelming. If you are finding yourself scratching your head as you look at the Instant Pot and want a solid foundation, you can check out my article, Is the Instant Pot Worth It? It will have you using your Instant Pot like a pro in no time.
What is Split Pea Soup?
Split pea soup is a creamy soup perfect for cooler weather. This protein-packed soup is made from dried peas like the split pea. It’s normally nice and thick because the natural starch in the peas thickens the soup as it cooks. This hearty soup is perfect for lunch or dinner in the cooler months. I love pairing it with a piece of crusty bread to soak up every last delicious drop.
Mouthwatering Split Pea Soup Vegetarian Style
There are lots of split pea soup recipes that call for ham pieces or even ham bones. But I can tell you, you don’t need ham to make delicious split pea soup in the Instant Pot. Ham primarily adds a saltiness to recipes, so if that is important to you, you can add a bit of extra salt. But honestly, you probably won’t need any extra salt! My split pea soup is seasoned with flavor throughout with vegetable broth and fresh herbs. It has a rich depth of flavor with no need for ham and its Plant-based too!
How to Make This Vegetarian Split Pea Soup Recipe
Split pea soup in the Instant Pot is a great starter recipe for anyone just starting out with cooking. You’ll look like a kitchen pro when you make whip up this tasty soup without breaking a sweat. The Instant Pot makes split pea soup easy! You just need to rinse the beans, dump, stir and cook.
- To start, put your dried split peas in a strainer. Next, rinse them thoroughly under cool tap water. Once you have rinsed the split peas, pour them into the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
- When the peas are added, put in the rest of the ingredients. To avoid splashing, I often add all the dry ingredients first before adding the vegetable broth. Once all the ingredients are added, give the mixture a quick stir.
- That’s pretty much all of the prep! Now place the lid on the Instant Pot and be sure to rotate the vent to seal. Next, select “Pressure Cook” and set the time to 12 minutes.
- The Instant Pot will take a few minutes to get up to pressure and heat. Once it does, it will beep and start the timer. When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- While the pressure release, you can just let it be. You could set an alarm on your phone or stove for 10 minutes, this will help you remember to check it on the soup and do a quick-release on the pressure.
- When the pressure is released, you can open the Instant Pot lid. Carefully fish out the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Finally, give the mixture a stir with a whisk breaking up some of the peas a bit.
If the soup is too thick for your preference, you can add a bit of water to thin it. And if you like a smoother soup, you could use an immersion blender to smooth the split pea soup some.
How to Serve Vegetarian Split Pea Soup
Split pea soup pairs well with warm bread, rolls, or croutons. My family and I like using bread because you can scrape down the sides of the bowl to soak up all of the goodness. But croutons are a tasty option too. They add a salty crunch to the soup.
Do split peas have to be soaked before cooking soup?
No! The Instant Pot makes it so you don’t have to soak your peas ahead of time. Traditional recipes often require that you soak your peas overnight before making the recipe. If you’re a busy mom and wife like me, do you really have time for that? My Instant Pot split pea soup is ready in less than 20 minutes.
Will the soup thicken as it cools?
This Instant Pot split pea soup is pretty thick already when it is done the cooking. But, if you break up the peas a bit more, the soup will become even thicker as it cools. Often soups and stews are thinner when they are hot. Starches, like the natural starch found in peas or flour, help thicken soups. Also, my recipe calls for potatoes which helps to thicken the soup a bit more too. If your soup get too thick? Try stirring in some more water with a whisk. Add a little at a time, stir it in, and check its thickness. Don’t add too much at once or you could accidentally make your soup runny.
How to Store and Reheat Pea Soup (Instant Pot)
Split pea soup can store for about a week in the fridge. This makes it a great make-ahead lunch for your husband, kids, and yourself. To store it, pour cooled soup into an airtight container. Seal the container and place in the refrigerator. Alternatively, you can pour the soup into individual airtight containers so they are ready to go the morning they are needed.
Can I freeze Split Pea Soup?
Yes! You can freeze split pea soup. To freeze my split pea soup, cool the soup and add to an airtight freezer container. Seal the container as tight as possible and place it in the freezer. It should keep for several months in the freezer and reheat well in the microwave.
Pro Tips and Tricks for the Best Instant Pot Pea Soup
- One of my favorite tricks to making a split pea soup smoother is to use an immersion blender. An immersion blender is a kind of like a blender on a stick that you stick into a hot soup, stew, or other recipes to smooth it out like you would in a traditional blender. It helps prevent splits and burns from trying to pour your hot soup into a traditional blender. You can get an immersion blender here.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of water at a time to thin it out a bit. 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time is just about right. After each addition, mix the soup up a bit to test its consistency.
- If you don’t have fresh thyme, you could use dried thyme. You could add about 1 teaspoon of dried thyme to replace the fresh thyme.
- If you are really in a pinch on time, try making the soup ahead of time on a Sunday or Saturday.
If you like soups, Try our Tortilla Quinoa Soup, Tomato Basil Soup, Cauliflower Soup, and our most loved Minestrone Soup (has more than 5K+ shares). You can also go to our collection of Instant Pot Soups to see more options
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Vegetarian Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot)
Yield: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Instant Pot Vegetable Split Pea Soup is a hearty vegetarian soup that gives you a bowl of warm comforting goodness on cold days. This dump and stir recipe is quick and easy to make so it’s perfect to throw together on a busy morning so you can pack this wholesome soup for lunch. Not a morning person? This split pea soup stores well so you can make it ahead of time and pack this for lunch or eat it for dinner all week long.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups dried split peas
- 1 yellow onion/ diced
- 2 carrots/ diced
- 2 celery stalks/ diced
- 1 potato / diced
- salt to taste
- 2 dried bay leaf
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- croutons or baguette to serve with the soup
Instructions
- Rinse dried peas several times and drain.
- This is a dump and stir recipe.
- So essentially Place peas in the inner pot of the pressure cooker and the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir to combine.
- Close the lid. Pressure cook for 12 minutes
- When done, let the pressure naturally release for 10 mins then do a quick release.
- Remove bay leaf and thyme stems.
- Use a whisk to stir the soup and break up the peas.
- Add water if needed to thin.
- If you like your soup smoother, use an immersion blender to blend. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.
- I like to serve my split pea soup with toasted baguette slices for dipping
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