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!
Servings 12
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.