Instant Pot Split Pea & Chorizo Soup

This tasty Instant Pot split pea and chorizo soup is hearty, delicious and easy to make. Inspired by the classic split pea and ham soup but with a twist of flavor-boosting chorizo, this soup is a crowd-pleaser and is satiating enough to be served as a main meal. 

If you're a fan of a split pea and ham soup, you will love this Instant Pot chorizo version. You only need a handful of ingredients to make this Instant Pot split pea soup, so it's budget-friendly and can be served to the whole family (kids love this one!). It's great for making ahead (the flavor develops even further the following day) and it freezes well. 

Instant Pot Split Pea & Chorizo Soup

Here are a few cooking notes about this soup recipe: 

• In this recipe, chorizo is used instead of ham or ham hock and it gives a lot of flavor to the soup, which will vary depending on the type of chorizo sausage you use. For example, if you use smoky chorizo or spicy one, you will get more of that flavor in the dish. You will use half of the chorizo when cooking the split pea soup and pan-fry the rest to use as a topping when serving it. 
• This is a thick soup that is almost like a stew. It's not pureed into a smooth soup and has a more rustic, chunky consistency. However, most of the peas will disintegrate during cooking, giving you that thick, smooth base.  The soup can be enjoyed on its own or with a hunk of bread or a dinner roll.
• This is a good recipe to make as a large batch to enjoy as leftovers or to freeze for later. 

How To Make Split Pea & Chorizo Soup In Instant Pot

You will find the full recipe, ingredients and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below. Let's go through the key ingredients you'll need to make this soup in the Instant Pot.  

• Split peas – we are using dry, green split peas, which you don't need to soak before cooking. You can use red or yellow split peas if you like but the greens ones are more traditional and provide that lovely, earthy and nutty pea flavor.
• Chorizo – you can find chorizo at most supermarkets or at your local deli or butcher. There are many varieties of chorizo and the beauty of this soup is that you can use whichever you can find! Most of them are made with pork, garlic and paprika as key ingredients, some are smokier or spicier, which will impact the flavor of the soup. Make sure to check out our chorizo rice here.
• Mirepoix– the trio of onion, carrots and celery is a classic base for most soups including this one. Sauteeing the vegetables first will caramelise and sweeten them slightly. 
• Seasoning - chicken stock cubes are used instead of pre-made chicken stock as these are a little more intense in flavor, plus garlic, salt, pepper and bay leaves. You can add other mixed dried herbs or spices to put your personal spin on this soup.

Step-By-Step Photos

Here are some step-by-step pictures to guide you along. We used a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo pressure cooker. 

• Step 1. Peel the chorizo sausage and dice it into small pieces. If the meat is very soft, you can use your fingers to tear it into bits.
• Step 2. Turn the Instant Pot on Saute setting (Normal) and add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened. 
• Step 3. Add half of the chorizo sausage and garlic and cook for another minute or two, stirring a few times. Then press Cancel to stop the Saute setting. 

• Step 4. Rinse the split peas under cold water once, no need to pre-soak. Add to the Instant Pot together with the bay leaves and the crumbled chicken stock cubes (unless using pre-made stock). 
• Step 5. Add about 6 cups (about 1.5 litres of water, or pre-made stock). Stir the contents really well, scraping the bottom of the pot with the spatula to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
• Step 6. Set to Pressure Cooker on High pressure for 20 minutes. 

• Step 7. While the soup is cooking, pan-fry the remaining chorizo over medium-high heat for a few minutes until browned. Stir a few times while frying, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any cooking fat.
• Step 8. Once the soup is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for about 10 minutes and then do the quick release. Open the lid and remove any visible bay leaves. Stir the soup well and taste for salt. Add more if needed and season with a little pepper as well. The final touch is a squeeze of ⅓ of a lemon as the acidity will make all the flavors pop just a little bit. 

Find the stovetop instructions in the recipe notes below!

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

• Instant Pot Turkish Split Pea Soup 
• Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup In The Instant Pot
• Instant Pot Greek Chicken Lemon Soup Avgolemono (with VIDEO)
• Creamy Instant Pot Zucchini Soup

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Instant Pot Split Pea & Chorizo Soup

Learn how to make quick and easy Instant Pot split pea and chorizo soup. This delicious recipe is similar to the classic split and ham soup but with a chorizo spin. It's hearty, thick, chunky and full of flavor, almost like a stew consistency and satiating enough as a main meal for a family dinner.

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Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time50 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 637kcal

Ingredients

• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion medium to large, finely diced
• 1 cup celery 1 large rib, diced
• 1 cup carrot 1 large or 2 small carrots, diced
• 1 lb. chorizo 450 g, peeled and cut or torn into small pieces
• 2 garlic cloves diced finely
• 1 lb. split peas dry, 450 - 500 g
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken stock or of water + chicken stock cubes
• ½ teaspoon salt more to taste
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ⅓ cup sour cream optional

Instructions

• Prep. Peel the chorizo sausage and dice it into small pieces. If the meat is very soft, you can use your fingers to tear it into bits. Dice all the vegetables and garlic.
• Sauté. Turn the Instant Pot on the Sauté setting (Normal) and add 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions, celery and carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes until softened.
• Add half of the chorizo sausage and garlic and cook for another minute or two, stirring a few times. Then press Cancel to stop the Sauté setting.
• Rinse the split peas under cold water once, no need to pre-soak. Add to the Instant Pot together with the bay leaves and the crumbled chicken stock cubes (unless using pre-made stock). Add about 6 cups (about 1.5 litres of water, or pre-made stock). Stir the contents well, scraping the bottom of the pot with the spatula to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
• Set & cook. Secure and lock the lid; make sure the pressure handle is pointing to Sealing.

  Select Manual/Pressure Cook and adjust the timer to 20 minutes on HIGH pressure. After a few seconds, the ON sign will come on, indicating the pressure is building (you might also hear 3 beeps on some models); pressurizing will take about 10-12 minutes, and then the 20-minute timer will begin. Once the timer is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and then do the quick release.
• While the soup is cooking, pan-fry the remaining chorizo over medium-high heat for a few minutes until browned. Stir a few times while frying, then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any cooking fat.
• Open the pot and stir. Open the lid and remove any visible bay leaves. Stir the soup well and taste for salt. Add more if needed and season with a little pepper as well. The final touch is a squeeze of ⅓ of a lemon as the acidity will make all the flavors pop just a little bit.
• Serve. Serve the soup in bowls with pan-fried chorizo on top. This soup is nice with a slice of toasted bread or a dinner roll. A dollop of sour cream stirred into the soup is very nice as well.

Notes

Pressurizing time: 10 minutes | Cooking under pressure: 20 minutes (on HIGH) | Release: natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release. You can do a quick release straight away if in a rush. Total NPR is also fine.

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Repeat the Sauteeing steps the same as above but in a soup saucepan. Once you have added the split peas and stock, bring to a boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer and cook, covered with a lid, for about an hour or until the split peas are tender and have almost disintegrated. Make sure to stir a few times.

FREEZING/STORAGE TIPS: Store leftover split pea soup for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The flavor will develop even further! The soup will thicken when cold but will soften back down when reheated; you can always add a little bit of water or stock to thin it out. To freeze, cool the soup first and then transfer to Tupperware/freezer containers and keep for 3-4 months depending on the freezer. Defrost in the fridge overnight or in a microwave. You can also defrost and reheat in the Instant Pot.

See more ingredient notes in the step-by-step section above.

Nutrition

Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 62mg | Sodium: 582mg | Potassium: 1155mg | Fiber: 21g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 4112IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 6mg

CourseMain

CuisineBritish

KeywordChorizo, Gluten-Free, Instant Pot, Soup, Split Peas, Stew

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