Split Pea Soup with Ham is a hearty and comforting soup that’s perfect for making with leftover ham (and a ham bone) from a holiday dinner. In fact, for us it is a post Easter tradition.
Split peas are field peas that are dried, peeled, and split in half for cooking. They come in both yellow and green varieties. Yellow split peas tend to be the mildest in flavor, and green split peas, sweeter. You’ll often see the yellow peas used in curries.
Split peas have great nutritional benefits. They’re low in fat, packed with fiber and protein, and are a good source of several vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, B, and magnesium.
Split peas don’t need to be soaked prior to cooking. They should be rinsed and sorted to remove any stones that might have gotten mixed into the bag.
Simmered with plenty of stock in a soup, they’ll cook down and thicken into a textured puree (without having to use an immersion blender).
Since split peas are mild in flavor, soup made with them can be a little muted. The ham does a lot to rectify that, but a base of aromatics, fresh herbs, and well-flavored stock are equally essential.
Normally split peas soup takes a few hours to make, however this version for the Instant Pot takes about an hour and yields an amazing result.
We did errands on Saturday morning. I started making the soup at 12:00 and we were eating lunch just after 1:00 PM. not bad at all.
Enjoy.
Split Pea Soup with Ham
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 chicken stock/broth or veggie stock, water, or a mixture
2 bay leaves
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried savory
kosher salt and black pepper
chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional
Turn pressure cooker to the "sauté" setting. Melt butter and sauté onion, celery, and carrots, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste, for about 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the split peas, chicken stock , ham bone, the 2 bay leaves, thyme, savoy.
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 adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately, or store in your refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
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