Vegan Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
This vegan split pea soup made in the Instant Pot (or any pressure cooker) is super quick and easy to make. The smokey flavor is achieved with simple ingredients!
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Not long ago, I shared my stovetop Vegan Split Pea Soup which is a huge hit with my family – and you guys, too! We recently started making it in our Instant Pot so of course, I had to let you in on that method, as well.
Although the Instant Pot seems to be the most popular electric pressure cooker out there, you can use any brand. My mom has the Ninja Foodi and loves it.
My favorite part about using the pressure cooker to make soup as opposed to the stovetop is how relatively hands-off it is. After sauteing the onions and spices, you just throw everything in the pot and let it do its thing.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe is below in the recipe card.
- Split peas: 1 pound of dried green split peas.
- Onion: I use a yellow onion for this recipe.
- Garlic: 6 cloves, finely chopped.
- Seasonings: smoked paprika, thyme, marjoram, black pepper, and salt.
- Vegetable broth: Buy some from the store, make homemade, or make some using veggie bouillon.
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce: Many brands contain fish or anchovies, so make sure to read labels. Annie’s brand and Kroger brand are both vegan and you can also make homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce. If none of these are options for you, soy sauce is a good substitute.
- Potatoes: Peeled and cubed. Yukon gold is my favorite for soup.
- Carrots: Peeled and chopped.
Instructions
New to using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker? Get acquainted with the user manual first. They also have some great how-to videos online.
- First, rinse the split peas to get rid of any residue or dirt that may have been left during processing. Set aside for now.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add the oil to the pot and saute the onion until translucent.
- Next, add the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, marjoram, and pepper. Saute for another 2 minutes to bring out the flavors of the seasoning.
- Add the split peas, vegetable stock, vegan Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, and carrots to the pot
- Put the lid on and set the valve to sealing.
- On manual mode, set the Instant Pot to 15 minutes. It will take about 10-15 mins to pressurize before it starts the 15 minute countdown.
- When the timer goes off, let the pot naturally release for 15 minutes. To finish depressurizing, carefully manually release the valve (“Quick Release”).
- Add salt to taste. Serve as is or add some garlic croutons on top!
Storing & Freezing
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
- Thaw: You have two options. 1) Quick option: Place the bag or container in warm water until it loosens from the sides. Add the soup to a pot and warm on medium heat, stirring frequently. 2) Fridge option: Remove the soup from the freezer and place it in the fridge for 2 days to thaw completely before eating. Again, warm it up in a pot on medium heat.
Variations
- Yellow split peas: You can totally use yellow instead of green split peas – they cook the same, but have a slightly different taste (yellow split peas are a bit sweeter and earthier.)
- Vegetables: I love how customizable soup is in general. Feel free to add in some more vegetables you enjoy. Cauliflower is great in this soup, as are green beans! You can absolutely leave out the carrots if you don’t like them.
- Bread bowls: For an ultra-cozy vibe, make some wheat bread bowls to go with this soup.
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please leave a comment and a ⭐ star review below!
Vegan Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried green split peas
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 6 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon marjoram
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable stock/broth
- 2 teaspoons vegan Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
- 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse split peas. Set aside.
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Add the oil and saute the onion until translucent.
- Add the garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, marjoram, and pepper. Saute for another 2 minutes.
- Add the split peas, vegetable stock, vegan Worcestershire sauce, potatoes, and carrots to the Instant Pot.
- Put the lid on and set the valve to sealing.
- On manual mode, set the Instant Pot to 15 minutes. It will take about 10-15 mins to pressurize before it starts the 15 minute countdown.
- When the timer goes off, let the pot naturally release for 15 minutes. To finish depressurizing, carefully manually release the valve ("Quick Release").
- Add salt to taste.
Tastes good, but the cooking time is WAY too long. Like others have mentioned, the peas came out completely mushy with no form. I’d cut the cooking time to about 8 minutes with a quick release at the end.
I sautéed the onion with 4 stalks of celery and used an entire bunch of organic carrots ie 5 instead of just 2. I also added a bag of baby spinach after the quick release and 1 bay leaf while cooking.
I found this recipe when my husband broke his jaw and could only eat puréed/liquid foods. I added a package of firm tofu at the beginning of the cooking process and then puréed it all with my stick blender at the end. I’m pleased to say it came out delicious! Plenty of flavor and while I would like it with ham and chunks of carrots, we both enjoyed the flavor so much we didn’t feel like we missed out on anything.
Fantastic tasting! I had to use my immersion blender to make it smooth, then added more water to thin it out a little. Maybe because I used baking potatoes because there were no yukon gold’s at my store. Thank you for this recipe Karissa!
I loved this. I put 1.5x the spices. I also sprinkled some marjoram on top when I served it. Very nice.
I had the same problem as stated above. The soup is very tasty, however it was complete mush when finished. When eating, I had to add a lot of veggie broth to each bowl. I used an Instant Pot. I am wondering if reducing cooking time worked for anyone else. Thanks.
I made this in a Ninja Foodi. I followed all the instructions and when setting the pressure cooker I left it on High. It came out completely pulverized; wayyyy overcooked. Does anyone have suggestions on how to alter the recipe for a Ninja Foodi? I didn’t even know that split peas can be cooked down to pure mush; there is no texture left to them. It still tastes good, but I want to try it again. Maybe a lower temp setting, and/or set the timer for fewer than 15 minutes? Please help!
Hi Myriam, it may not be an issue due to your cooking pot. The split pea soups I’ve eaten always had disintegrated split peas. Reducing the time will be key if you like more of a bite. Try 10 minutes next time.
I am new to eating vegan, and this is one of the first recipes I tried. I was amazed! I have always used ham or ham hocks in my pea soup and couldn’t imagine it without. Well, this recipe changed that for good. Even if I go back to mean at some point, I won’t go back to ham in my pea soup. Thanks for giving me a great recipe to start out my vegan adventure!
Great recipe!
This recipe is awesome! I added leftover mashed potatoes and broke up some leftover stuffing and baked it for the croutons. I was worried it wouldn’t come out but it is so yummy and hearty.
This was delicious, thank you so much! I was looking for a vegan recipe so my vegan son could partake. The rest of us didn’t miss the ham at all. The smoked paprika and spices shine through. I will add this to our favorite instant pot recipes.
I love soups in the instant pot. And this one’s a winner! So good on a cold dreary day.