• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Valya's Taste of Home logo

  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Shop
  • Work with Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Shop
  • Work with Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • Disclosure
  • Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Let's Connect

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Soups

    Easy Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (with Leftover Chicken Breast!)

    Published: Oct 11, 2022 by Valya's Taste of Home · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Feel like making a hearty, nutritious soup but don't know which one to make? Try this delicious Instant Pot Split Pea Soup that is made with delicious split peas, cooked leftover chicken, and delicious veggies and seasonings that all come together easily in an Instant Pot!

    What goes well with a chilly, fall day? A hearty bowl of steamy-hot soup! This Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe is unique and fantastic. It's light but also tastes rich and satisfying. It will also do a great job of keeping chills at bay and make you feel warm and cozy inside.

    It's not only light but also tastes rich and satisfying. Perfect for a chilly, fall day or evening, or even in the dead of winter. It's comforting and hearty, making it perfect for whenever you want something to make you feel warm and cozy inside.

    What's best is that it's made in an Instant Pot that cuts the time it takes to make it in more than half! And easily cooks peas all the way through without having to spend hours simmering them! 

    Want to learn how to make this delicious Instant Pot Split Pea Soup? Then keep on reading!

    Table of Contents
    • What is an Instant Pot Split Pea Soup?
    • What Makes This Instant Pot Split Pea Soup Recipe Special?
    • What You Need to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup at Home
    • How to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (Step-by-Step)
    • Recipe Variation Ideas for Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
    • How to Store Leftover Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
    • More Soup Recipes You'll Love
    • Recipe Card
    • Comments

    What is an Instant Pot Split Pea Soup?

    A split pea soup is a delicious hearty soup that's made primarily with split peas, delicious fresh vegetables like carrots and potatoes, along with some cooked leftover meat like cooked chicken breast, or even some leftover ham.

    And instant pot split pea soup is when it's all conveniently cooked in an Instant Pot®, making the process really quick and easy, especially since peas can sometimes be tricky to work with and can take a lot of time to cook all the way through.

    This is an incredibly nutritious and tasty way of getting some protein and healthy carbohydrates into your kids in the easiest way possible! It's so easy that you can easily make this for a weeknight dinner!

    What Makes This Instant Pot Split Pea Soup Recipe Special?

    The recipe itself is fairly easy to make. However, sometimes there can still be a tough ingredient to tackle, even in a straightforward recipe like this one. For me, that was peas.

    Even with decent cooking experience I still had a tough time getting the peas fully cooked when I used to make them on a stovetop. It just took what seemed like forever of simmering the peas on low to get it to an eatable softness. And still, sometimes you'd find a hard pea in your mouth.

    Now, thanks to magical little kitchen appliances like the Instant Pot that does a lot of the work for you, the recipe is easier than ever, and the peas always turn out super soft.

    Soup is one comfort food my family cannot live without. Whether it’s a soothing start to a meal or a meal in itself with a good chunk of homemade bread, it can hold you for a while.

    One thing we all make and have regularly is chicken, and leftover chicken is something every family has at some point. This soup is an incredible way to use it to turn it into something everyone in the family will absolutely love!

    Packed with high-fiber vegetables like green peas, carrots, and potatoes, this bowl of goodness checks every box in a season like this.

    Nutritious? Check. Healthy? Check. Tasty? Double check! And if you like other veggies in your soup as well, simply toss them into this already scrumptious meal. Enjoy this quick, easy, and tasty soup that's low in calories and sodium!

    What You Need to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup at Home

    You need some simple, readily-available ingredients to make this at home. Most of these ingredients you'll probably have in your pantry already. Others, like split peas, are something you can buy and store for later use making this a great backup dinner for busy nights!

    Here's everything you'll need to make it at home:

    Split Pea Soup Main Ingredients:

    • Split peas: First of all, we'll need some split peas to make this delicious split pea soup. You can use either yellow or green split peas as both works beautifully in this recipe.
    • Potatoes: Next, we need some hearty potatoes! Any variety of potatoes works well here. I've used homegrown red potatoes, but you can use yellow potatoes (Yukon Gold) as well.
    • Carrots: We'll also need some carrots to add a delicious, sweet flavor to the dish that perfectly complements all the other ingredients. (I used homegrown carrots)
    • Chicken: I've used some leftover baked chicken breast in this recipe. You can use any type of leftover chicken you might have, including rotisserie chicken. 
    • Parsley: We'll also be using some fresh parsley in our recipe to garnish it. (I used homegrown fresh parsley)
    • Onion (optional): For a deeper flavor, you can use a yellow onion but that's completely optional. 
    • Olive oil: We'll also be using some olive oil to saute our ingredients inside the instant pot itself because we change the settings to pressure cook our delicious soup.

    Split Pea Soup Seasonings:

    • Seasonings: First of all, we'll need our most basic seasonings: salt and black pepper to perfectly season our hearty soup. 
    • Garlic powder: Next, we need some garlic powder because it'll add a delicious depth to the dish and make everything taste even better.
    • Mrs. Dash seasoning: This is another one of my favorite seasonings because of just how perfect of a mix of onion powder, marjoram, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, lemon juice powder, etc it is. I highly recommend not skipping this one, and it's a great mix that I use in many other recipes like my Instant Pot Beef Stew. 
    • Chicken bouillon: To get the perfect chicken broth, I've used the Better than Bouillon paste in this recipe.
    • Bay leaves: For the perfect aroma and flavor, we'll also be adding some bay leaves to our soup.
    • Fresh or frozen dill: You'll also need some dill! Luckily, you can use either fresh or frozen dill in this recipe.

    Instant Pot: Of course, you'll need an Instant Pot to make this delicious soup. I highly recommend buying one since it will make your life so much easier and help you make tasty dinner recipes a lot faster! 

    How to Make Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (Step-by-Step)

    This is a delicious recipe that I'm sure you're going to fall in love with. Instant Pot soup recipes require very little effort to prepare. Here's how to make it step by step:

    How to Prep Veggies and Chicken For Split Pea Soup

    First of all, we need some cooked chicken. I shredded a leftover large chicken breast.

    Before making the soup (or even the night before) you can season one breast with garlic salt, black ground pepper, and Mrs. Dash seasoning and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 F (204 C) or use any leftover chicken (or any meat, really) from last night's dinner.

    Next, let's prep our veggies. Rinse, peel, chop and shred vegetables. I grated half of the carrots and sliced the second half. Rinse yellow split peas well. Pull apart (or shred) chicken breast meat into small pieces.

    How to Make Split Pea Soup in an Instant Pot

    Let's get started in cooking our split pea soup! Turn your Instant Pot on and press the sauté setting. The time will show 20 minutes on the display, but you only need to sauté for about 5 minutes or so.

    Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add (diced onion, optional) carrots and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add shredded leftover large chicken breast and sauté for another minute or so.

    Next, sprinkle all the dry seasonings: sea salt, black ground pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic powder, and sauté for an additional minute constantly stirring the mixture.

    Finally, add 8 cups of cold water, chopped potatoes, carrots, rinsed yellow split peas, 3 to 4 small bay leaves, and 1 tbsp. of chicken bouillon paste into the instant pot.

    Stir all together to combine. Turn the sauté cycle off.

    How Long to Cook Split Pea Soup in Instant Pot

    Click on Soup/Broth button, set the pressure cooker to high pressure, and reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes. Close the instant pot with the lid, and turn the valve to the sealing position.

    The heating will start automatically. This takes about 15 minutes and the light will say “ON”. Then the instant pot will beep when heated and a 15-minute cooking time will start.

    While the soup is cooking rinse and chop about a ½ cup of fresh parsley and 1 heaping tablespoon of dill.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe is unique and fantastic. Its light, but also tastes rich and satisfying. Thanks to magical little kitchen appliances like the Instant Pot that does a lot of the work for you, the recipe is easier than ever, and the peas always turn out super soft. Packed with high-fiber vegetables like yellow peas, carrots and potato, this bowl of goodness checks every box in a season like this.

    After the soup is done cooking the timer will beep. Using a kitchen glove turn the valve to “Venting”. Do not lean over the instant pot or the coming out steam will burn your face.

    After the steam is released, open the lid, turn the instant pot off, and add dill and parsley. Close the instant pot lid again and let the fresh ingredients steam through for about 5 minutes or so while the instant pot is still off.

    Remove the lid and serve the soup warm. Your delicious Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is ready to be served!

    Serve with any of the homemade bread recipes of your choice or my favorite crusty bread recipe. If you like your soup on the thicker side, you may use an immersion blender to cream your soup a little.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe is unique and fantastic. It's light but also tastes rich and satisfying. It will also do a great job of keeping chills at bay and make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

    Recipe Variation Ideas for Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

    This recipe is absolutely perfect as is, but if you're looking to change things up, here are a few great options: 

    Meat: You can change up the meat in this dish to not only change the flavor and spice things up but to also use any leftovers you might have. Another great option apart from chicken is some leftover ham such as some thick diced ham or smoked ham hock for a delicious smoky flavor. 

    Vegetables: You can add any other veggies you make like into this soup. It's incredibly versatile and just about everything goes well in it including celery, thyme, a little lemon juice, etc. 

    Vegan: For a vegan option, skip the chicken and you'll still have a delicious hearty soup.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe is unique and fantastic. It's light but also tastes rich and satisfying. It will also do a great job of keeping chills at bay and make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

    How to Store Leftover Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

    You can store any leftovers you might have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Just warm it on the stove on medium heat before serving.

    Alternatively, you can also freeze this delicious soup in the freezer for up to 2 months! Just allow it to thaw overnight before reheating it on the stovetop.

    This Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup Recipe is unique and fantastic. It's light but also tastes rich and satisfying. It will also do a great job of keeping chills at bay and make you feel all warm and cozy inside.

    More Soup Recipes You'll Love

    • Instant Pot Vegetable Beef and Bean Soup Recipe
    • Leftover Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Soup Recipe
    • The Best Zuppa Toscana Soup with Homemade Sausage
    • Red Borscht (Red Beet Soup)
    • Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

    Recipe Card

    Easy Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (with Leftover Chicken Breast!)

    This Instant Pot Split Pea recipe is delicious, nutritious, and comforting! The step-by-step instructions make it easy for even first-time instant pot users!
    4.85 from 13 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: comfort foods, easy soup recipe, family favorite dish, Instant Pot Chicken Split Pea Soup
    Prep Time: 35 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 12
    Author: Valya's Taste of Home

    Ingredients

    Chicken Split Pea Soup Ingredients

    • 1 large chicken breast cooked
    • 1.5 lb. – carrots
    • ½ tbsp. – sea salt
    • ½ tsp. – black ground pepper
    • 1 tsp. – Mrs. Dash seasoning
    • 1 tsp. – garlic powder
    • 8 cups – cold water
    • 2 lbs. – potatoes
    • 1 cup – yellow split peas
    • 4 small – bay leaves
    • 1 tbsp. – fresh or frozen dill
    • ½ cup – fresh parsley

    Instructions

    How to Prep Veggies and Chicken For Split Pea Soup

    • First of all, we need some cooked chicken. I shredded a leftover large chicken breast.
    • Before making the soup (or even the night before) you can season one breast with garlic salt, black ground pepper, and Mrs. Dash seasoning and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 400 F (204 C) or use any leftover chicken (or any meat, really) from last night's dinner.
    • Next, let's prep our veggies. Rinse, peel, chop and shred vegetables. I grated half of the carrots and sliced the second half. Rinse yellow split peas well. Pull apart (or shred) chicken breast meat into small pieces.

    How to Make Split Pea Soup in an Instant Pot

    • Let's get started in cooking our split pea soup! Turn your Instant Pot on and press the sauté setting. The time will show 20 minutes on the display, but you only need to sauté for about 5 minutes or so.
    • Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, add (diced onion, optional) carrots and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Then add shredded leftover large chicken breast and sauté for another minute or so.
    • Next, sprinkle all the dry seasonings: sea salt, black ground pepper, Mrs. Dash seasoning, and garlic powder, and sauté for an additional minute constantly stirring the mixture.
    • Finally, add 8 cups of cold water, chopped potatoes, carrots, rinsed yellow split peas, 3 to 4 small bay leaves, and 1 tbsp. of chicken bouillon paste into the instant pot.
    • Stir all together to combine. Turn the sauté cycle off.

    How Long to Cook Split Pea Soup in Instant Pot

    • Click on Soup/Broth button, set the pressure cooker to high pressure, and reduce the cooking time to 15 minutes. Close the instant pot with the lid, and turn the valve to the sealing position.
    • The heating will start automatically. This takes about 15 minutes and the light will say “ON”. Then the instant pot will beep when heated and a 15-minute cooking time will start.
    • While the soup is cooking rinse and chop about a ½ cup of fresh parsley and 1 heaping tablespoon of dill.
    • After the soup is done cooking the timer will beep. Using a kitchen glove turn the valve to “Venting”. Do not lean over the instant pot or the coming out steam will burn your face.
    • After the steam is released, open the lid, turn the instant pot off, and add dill and parsley. Close the instant pot lid again and let the fresh ingredients steam through for about 5 minutes or so while the instant pot is still off.
    • Remove the lid and serve the soup warm. Your delicious Instant Pot Split Pea Soup is ready to be served!

    Notes

    For this recipe, I’ve used homegrown carrots, potatoes, and parsley, but store-bought produce will work perfectly as well. Also, I used frozen dill, but if you have fresh dill it works best.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Tried this recipe?Share your photo on Instagram @valyastasteofhome or tag #valyastasteofhome!
    Follow Like

    Thank you for following me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!

    « Easy Butternut Squash Recipe (Roasted to Perfection!)
    The Tastiest Classic Pumpkin Scones (Better Than Starbucks) »

    Love What You See? Please Share!

    1.5K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Normajean says

      January 01, 2023 at 5:02 pm

      5 stars
      Yummy-lish-ous-ness!. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I haven't had split pea soup in forever. But lately have been thinking I should make some. Every one loved it and not a drop leftover. Great way to utilize left over rotisserie which is basically 2hay I did for the chicken meat.

      Reply
      • Valya's Taste of Home says

        January 02, 2023 at 12:12 am

        I'm so happy to hear that! I love this soup very much. Thank you for sharing your experience and for an amazing review!

        Reply
    2. Julie Beasley says

      October 31, 2021 at 4:06 pm

      5 stars
      Great alternative to the traditional split pea and ham soup that we love. I added two frozen chicken breasts right into the instant pot and shredded it when the soup was done. Loved it!

      Reply
      • Valya's Taste of Home says

        November 01, 2021 at 12:51 pm

        I'm glad you loved the recipe! Thank you for your feedback!

        Reply
    3. Marlee says

      November 23, 2020 at 11:53 am

      Hey, has anyone every tried freezing this recipe after it's made? I would omit the fresh parsley and dill until thawed. Have an upcoming surgery and want to have meals like this on hand.

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        November 23, 2020 at 12:53 pm

        I have many times and it's 100% freezer friendly! I split the soup into serving containers and freeze them. Then place the container into the fridge to thaw and then later reheat the soup on the stovetop (my preference) in a small saucepan. I hope this helps!

        Reply
    4. Galina says

      August 09, 2020 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this recipe and it turned out great! I've been looking for more instant pot recipes since I don't have as much time to cook now because I had a baby.

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        August 10, 2020 at 9:55 pm

        I'm so happy to hear that you like it. I love my instant pot! You can check all my Instant Pot recipes HERE. Enjoy! And congrats on your baby!

        Reply
    5. Linsey says

      October 24, 2019 at 10:31 am

      Do you have this in a non-instapot recipe (meaning a regular pot or dutch oven)?

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        October 24, 2019 at 7:13 pm

        I do not but have done it countless times in the past. You would have cook/simmer split pea and meat for about 45 minutes before adding potatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Instructions are similar to how I make chicken noodle soup. If you have more questins do not hesitate to ask. I hope that helps.

        Reply
    6. Anna says

      May 28, 2019 at 10:39 am

      Can I substitute red split peas to green split peas or red lentils ?

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        May 28, 2019 at 1:41 pm

        Absolutely! Enjoy!

        Reply
        • Anna says

          May 28, 2019 at 2:28 pm

          5 stars
          Made it with green split peas because I realized too late that I didn’t have the red and the soup turned out delicious. Another great insta pot recipe. Thank you so much !

          Reply
          • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

            May 28, 2019 at 10:05 pm

            I’m glad it turned out great for you! I’ve been using Instant Pot for all my soups and love how easy and quick it takes. Thank you for coming back and reviewing the recipe!

            Reply
    7. Anna Burau says

      November 01, 2018 at 12:32 pm

      5 stars
      Hey Valya I’m so thankful for your good and very detailed resipes! Its so easy to make and reminds me of my home! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        November 01, 2018 at 12:40 pm

        Awe... so sweet of you! Thank you!

        Reply
    8. Larisa says

      October 22, 2018 at 2:42 am

      Hi Valya!
      Question: if I don't have pre cooked or baked chicken or another meat, what you suggest about having the meat cooked in the instant pot? Few days ago I tried making meatball soup in the instant pot and I sautéed the veggies then set to manually pressure cook for 8 minutes, and my potatoes got over cooked. Everything else turned out good. Meatballs I had pre-roasted about 12-15 mins in the oven.
      Also, in the directions you mention throwing in fresh pease together with parsley and dill, but I don't see them in your ingredients list. Did I mis read it or it was supposed to be another word?
      Thank you ????

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        October 22, 2018 at 10:50 pm

        It is ok to cook meat in the instant pot as well. The ingredients list is in the printable recipe card. Let me know if you have any other questions Larisa.

        Reply
    9. Makos says

      October 20, 2018 at 11:21 am

      5 stars
      This is just the perfect dinner for the cold weather! It looks so warm and cozy!

      Reply
      • Valya of Valya's Taste of Home says

        October 20, 2018 at 6:09 pm

        It sure is! Thank you 🙂

        Reply

    Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Meet the Author

    Valya with cake

    A food blogger, recipe developer, photographer, editor, and author behind Valya’s Taste of Home website. Sharing family-proven tasty recipes with step-by-step photos and videos. Read more...

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top ↑

    HOME · ABOUT · CONTACT · SHOP · PRIVACY POLICY

    SIGN UP! For Emails and Updates

    Valya's Taste of Home is a Participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program · Disclosure

    Copyright © 2023 Valya's Taste of HomeTM LLC - All Rights Reserved

    1.5K shares