Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

If you’re looking for a fast and delicious meal option, why not give this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe a try?

The Greeks and Romans were serving this wonderful dish between 400 and 500 B.C. . In my opinion, any soup that’s been around that long MUST be good!

This tasty meal was also eaten throughout the Colonial period, although it was made a little thinner with dried split peas, pork, and carrots.

During the 19th Century, it was introduced to the United States by French-Canadian millworkers. It was a filling and nutritious meal that helped them survive harsh winters.

Split peas belong to the legume family and are found throughout the world. The globe’s largest split pea producers are China, Russia, India, Canada, and the United States.

As a result, split peas are found throughout many different cultures and in a variety of dishes worldwide.

This is a vegan version of the Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham.

If you like vegan soups, you’ll definitely want to try my Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup or this Instant Pot Hearty Brown Lentil Soup.

Using simple vegetables, you get a heart-healthy, light meal with loads of incredible flavor.

The best part?

It tastes like you spent hours preparing it. Your friends and family will be amazed at your culinary prowess!

Are There Different Types of Split Peas?

Split peas typically fall into two categories: green and yellow. They’re packed full of nutrition and are a great source of iron, zinc, protein, and phosphorus.

The green and yellow peas reside in the pulse family, which also includes lentils, chickpeas, beans, and split peas. Pulses come from the Latin puls, which means thick soup.

They’re simply the dried edible seeds of certain plants in the family of legumes.

If you’re looking for a no-soak chickpea recipe, I’ve included my Instant Pot Chickpeas for you to try. It’s the easiest way to prepare chickpeas.

Whether you’re making them to snack on or add to another recipe, the pressure cooker does all the work for you.

If you’re a chickpea lover, you’ll want to try my Vegan Chickpea Curry recipe. It has a savory taste and pleasing aroma.

Split peas are also full of fiber and protein and have a very low-fat content. They’re a rich source of important nutrients such as amino acids, potassium, manganese, and copper.

With a mild taste, it’s easy to include them in a variety of recipes to take advantage of their amazing nutritional benefits. It’s a great way to get your kids to eat some healthy vegetables without them even noticing.

What’s the difference between yellow and green peas?

Nutritionally speaking, yellow and green peas are very similar and grow from the same plant. However, the main differences are the color and taste.

Green peas have a bolder, nuttier taste, whereas yellow peas have a sweeter and milder finish. Below are some specific health benefits provided by both green and yellow peas.

Green Peas Health Benefits

1. Promotes muscle & bone strength

2. High antioxidant levels

3. Helps control blood sugar

4. Improves heart health

5. Helps maintain healthy body weight

Yellow Peas Health Benefits

1. Promotes gut health

2. Assists with digestive system regulation

3. Helps control blood sugar

4. Helps control cholesterol

5. Helps maintain healthy body weight

What’s the Difference Between Split Peas and Lentils?

Both split peas and lentils are a great alternative when looking for meatless meals. These legumes miraculously transform from inedible to succulent when combined with savory vegetables and cooked in water or broth.

Peas, also known as Pisum sativum, are covered in husks. Although you can eat the husks, they dilute the rich flavor of the peas and make the outer covering less desirable.

Since hulled and split peas cook much faster, it’s a preferred method for busy cooks.

Lentils come in various sizes and have an outer skin that can be gray, yellow, red, or black. Grocers often carry either whole or split lentils.

Halved lentils take less time to cook, and all varieties are similar in both texture and taste with slight subtleties. Lentils have a hearty taste, which makes them an ideal option for cold salads or the feature of an entree.

Similar to halved lentils, split peas disintegrate during the cooking process, which leaves them with a paste-like consistency.

What nutrients are found in lentils?

• Protein
• Iron
• Potassium

Whether you choose to add ham or omit it from your soup recipe, the split peas have a slightly sweeter finish than cooked, split lentils.

Similar to red lentils, both green and yellow split peas maintain their lovely hue throughout the cooking process. Both packaged lentils and split peas are hard and dry until they’re softened in water.

What I love most about this Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe is that it’s a hearty, nutritious meal that you can feel good about serving to your family.

Brimming with earthly vegetables, a lovely aroma, and finished with a silky texture, it’ll be a favorite that you’ll return to time and time again.

Whether you’re sitting around the dinner table or cozied up by a fire, this is a soup recipe that’ll leave your family and guests feeling satiated and cared for.

How to Make Instant Split Pea Soup

Gather your ingredients:

Carefully place all of your ingredients in an Instant Pot.

Gently place the lid on top and adjust the valve into the sealing position.

Cook on manual “high” pressure for 15 minutes. Release the steam naturally.

Stir the delicious mixture and serve with crackers.

Looking for more ideas for side dishes? Check out What to Serve With Split Pea Soup for 18 delicious recipes.