This gluten free Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup recipe is healthy and easy! It's thick and made with carrots in the pressure cooker.
This Instant Pot Split Pea Soup recipe is great to have on hand during the holidays because it's the perfect way to use up leftover holiday ham!

Split Pea Soup is what I like to call 'healthy comfort food'. It's hearty, filling, and good for you at the same time.
Cooler temps have officially hit Minnesota this week making it the perfect time to break out the pressure cooker and whip up a batch of this soup!
This is one of those timeless recipes that's rustic and hasn't changed much over the years. It's prepared with simple ingredients and makes a great weeknight dinner. I love the Instant Pot because it means meals like this one take only a little more than 30 minutes.
The split peas are combined with fresh carrots and smoky ham for a soup that's rich, smoky, and downright delicious.
Jump to:
- Do Split Peas Need To Be Soaked?
- How To Add Flavor To Split Pea Soup
- Ingredients For Split Pea Ham Soup
- How To Cook Split Pea Soup In The Instant Pot
- How Long Does Split Pea Soup Take To Cook?
- What To Serve With Split Pea Ham Soup
- How Long Does This Soup Keep In The Fridge?
- Can I Freeze Split Pea Soup?
- Split Pea and Ham Soup (Instant Pot)

Do Split Peas Need To Be Soaked?
Split peas are an awesome item to have in your pantry because they do not need to be soaked before cooking. They're super cheap and keep up to a year stored in an airtight container.
There are both green and yellow split peas; Green split peas are a bit sweeter in flavor and become almost 'creamy' as they cook.
Split peas are very healthy; They're high in fiber and protein in addition to being low in fat. This legume is perfect for soups but can also be made into fritters, creamy spreads, or used to top salads.
The split peas do not need to be soaked before cooking, but it's a good idea to rinse them in a colander to remove any dirt or impurities.

How To Add Flavor To Split Pea Soup
This recipe uses simple, clean ingredients. The flavor comes from the addition of garlic, onions, and celery.
Ham adds a great smoky flavor and the carrots provide sweetness to the soup.
Ingredients For Split Pea Ham Soup
Here's what you'll need to make it.
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 onion (any color)
- 3 stalks celery (yields 1 cup)
- 4-5 large carrots (yields 4-5 cups)
- ½ lb. ham (yields 2 cups diced ham)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups Green Split Peas (If you prefer a thinner texture, reduce amount to 2 cups green split peas)
- 5 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
- ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
- ½ tsp. Pepper
- Fresh Chives or Herbs of Choice for garnish (optional)
Make sure that the brand of green split peas used is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you. Green split peas are naturally gluten free, but some brands are processed in a facility that also processes non-gluten free products and cross-contamination can occur.
It's important that you use low sodium chicken broth as ham is pretty salty. A low sodium brand ensures that the salt levels will stay in check.




How To Cook Split Pea Soup In The Instant Pot
The Instant Pot was basically made to cook soups like this one. What would take 1-2 hours on the stove top is cut down to 30 minutes in the pressure cooker.
The split peas become creamy, the carrots tender, and the ham perfectly smoky in no time at all!
- Start by mincing 6 cloves of garlic and 1 onion (any color).
- Chop 2-3 stalks of celery and 4-5 large carrots.
- Chop ½ lb. of ham into small cubes (yields about 2 cups). You can use leftover ham, ham steak, or any type of ham you like.
- Turn the Instant Pot On and set it to 'Sauté' mode. Once it's heated add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
- Add the garlic, onions, and celery and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the chopped carrots to the Instant Pot, along with ½ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the diced ham and sauté for another minute or two, stirring often.
- Add 2 ¼ cups rinsed green split peas and stir into the rest of the ingredients.
- Add 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth and stir until combined.

How Long Does Split Pea Soup Take To Cook?
- Once everything is in there place the cover on top and make sure it is sealed and in the locked position.
- Press the ‘Cancel/Off’ button and then press the ‘Manual’ button.
- Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to pressurize, cook for 15 minutes, and when the 15 minutes is up allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes. Feel free to flip the vent after 10 minutes to release any extra steam. At this point you can remove the cover from the Instant Pot.
*Always be sure to exercise caution when using an Instant Pot. Check out this guide for any questions you may have regarding use of your Instant Pot.
If you're looking for more leftover ham recipes don't miss these!

What To Serve With Split Pea Ham Soup
Once the Instant Pot has done its job the soup is ready! It can be served at this point. Make sure to stir the soup together after it has cooked.
The soup will thicken more the longer it sits.
I love to serve Split Pea and Ham Soup with some freshly minced chives, but you can choose any fresh herb you like. The herbs give it a fresh flavor and pop of color (because, let's be honest, split pea soup is not the most fashionable food on the planet).
This soup is perfect paired with some warm, crusty bread, garlic bread, or cheese bread. These cheddar chive scones or homemade biscuits are great for dipping.
My favorite bread for soups like this one is the gluten free baguette from Schar. Udi's also makes a great gluten free baguette. Both can be found in the gluten free or freezer section of your local grocery store or purchased online.
Feel free to use any bread you like if gluten is not an issue for you.
It's perfect paired with a chipotle chicken panini, Italian mozzarella panini, or a grilled cheese sandwich.
If you're enjoying this soup for lunch this tarragon chicken salad, curried chickpea salad, or dill egg salad, mustard egg salad would be a great pairing.
If you like the Instant Pot Recipes be sure to check out these recipes!
- Instant Pot Pork Carnitas
- Instant Pot Mediterranean Chicken
- Instant Pot Lentil Soup
- Instant Pot Wild Rice
- Instant Pot Lentils

How Long Does This Soup Keep In The Fridge?
This soup should last 3-4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Allow the soup to come down to room temperature before storing in the fridge.
If it becomes thick in the fridge simply add some more chicken broth or water to thin it out while re-heating.
This split pea soup is a great for meal prep. Whip up a batch on Sunday or Monday and enjoy it for lunch throughout the week. It's also a great way to use up any holiday leftovers.

Can I Freeze Split Pea Soup?
Yes! Soups like this one make great freezer meals as it contains no dairy.
How To Freeze
- Prepare the soup according to the instructions and allow to cool completely.
- Once cooled, place the soup in heavy-duty freezer bags or in airtight containers.
- Store up to 3 months in the freezer.
How To Thaw
- Place the containers of frozen soup in the fridge for 24 hours to thaw.
- Place the soup in a Dutch Oven or soup pan and add ½ cup of water or chicken broth and heat thoroughly.
This Split Pea and Soup is gluten free and dairy free. I love recipes like this that can be made with holiday leftovers. It's great for a weeknight dinner or serving to guests during the holidays!
Love soup? Check out these recipes!
- Lentil Sausage Soup
- Harvest Vegetable Soup
- Hearty Lentil Soup
- Leftover Turkey Rice Soup
- Chicken Noodle Soup
- Wild Rice Turkey Soup
- Sausage Fennel Soup
Looking For More Instant Pot Soup Recipes? Don't Miss These!
Instant Pot Spicy Chicken Ramen
Instant Pot Tortilla Quinoa Soup
Instant Pot Beef Vegetable Soup
Instant Pot Carrot Soup

Split Pea and Ham Soup (Instant Pot)
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 large onion any color
- 2-3 stalks celery yields 1 cup
- 4-5 large carrots yields 4-5 cups
- ½ lb. ham yields 2 cups diced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups green split peas
- 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- fresh chives or herbs for garnish optional
Instructions
- Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 1 large onion (any color).
- Chop 2-3 stalks of celery and 4-5 large carrots.
- Chop ½ lb. of ham into small cubes. (Leftover roast holiday ham or pre-cooked ham steak are great options).
- Rinse 2 ¼ cups of green split peas in a colander to remove any dirt or impurities.Feel free to reduce the amount of green split peas to 2 cups if you prefer a thinner texture.
- Turn the Instant Pot On and set it to 'Saute' mode. Once it's heated add 2 Tbsp. of olive oil.
- Add the minced garlic, onions, and celery to the Instant Pot and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the chopped carrots, along with ½ tsp. each of kosher salt and pepper. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the diced ham and sauté for another minute or two, stirring often.
- Add the rinsed split peas and sauté for another minute, stirring until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Add 5 cups of low sodium chicken broth and stir until combined.
- Once everything is in there place, the cover on top and make sure it is in the locked position and that the valve it sealed. Press the ‘Cancel/Off’ button and then press the ‘Manual’ button. Set the timer for 15 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to pressurize, cook for 15 minutes, and when the 15 minutes is up allow the steam to release naturally for 10 minutes. Feel free to flip the vent after 10 minutes to release any extra steam. At this point you can remove the cover from the Instant Pot.Turn the Instant Pot off and unplug it when finished.
- To Serve: Garnish the soup with minced chives or any type of herbs you like and serve with crusty bread or garlic bread (use gluten free bread if gluten free).
Samantha
Love this version of IP split pea soup! It's perfect for the chillier days ahead.
Julia
I made this soup yesterday in my new Instant Pot for dinner and the whole family loved it! I used leftover ham from (Canadian) Thanksgiving and it was a perfect meal for a rainy and cold day.
Slva
I just made this in my Ninja Foodi. I have never pressure cooked Pea soup before. I am hooked, this was delicious. I like it thick, it was perfect.
Christine
So glad you enjoyed it! I love this soup on a cold winter evening. 🙂
Leenie
I just got an IP for Christmas and this recipe is going to be my very first recipe! 😊 I would like to use my leftover Christmas ham and include the bone. Since I've never used an IP before, I was wondering if it's ok to use the bone🦴, and what affect it would have on the ingredients, if any, or directions? Any other helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated by this IP newbie 😁
Christine
Hi Leenie - It should be just fine to add the ham hone to the soup, in fact, it will probably add even more flavor. I would just remove it at the end of the cooking process and discard. The Instant Pot can be very intimidating at first (it took me awhile to get comfortable with it) but once you do it makes things like homemade soup so quick and easy! Enjoy your new Instant Pot and I'd love to hear how it turns out or if you have any more questions! 🙂
Michael Laubinger
Would you pressure cook it on high or low setting?
Christine
This recipe would cook on high pressure as well.
Julie P
This soup is delicious but mine came out very thick. Any suggestions? I made it according to the directions.
julie p.
Christine
Hi Julie - Thank you for the feedback. This soup is very thick, but to make it a little thinner I would reduce the amount of split peas (maybe to 2 - 2 1/4 cups instead of the recommended 2 1/2 cups). If you find that it is still too thick, feel free to add a bit more chicken broth at the end of the cooking time. Hope that helps!