Description
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.
Ingredients
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium to large onion, finely diced
1 cup diced celery (1 large rib)
1 cup diced carrot (1 large or 2 small carrots)
1 lb / 450 g chorizo, peeled and cut or torn into small pieces
2 garlic cloves, diced finely
About 1 lb / 450-500 g split peas
2 bay leaves
6 cups of chicken stock (or of water + chicken stock cubes)
1/2 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/3 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 1/3 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
- Serving Size: 1.5 cups
- Calories: 652
- Sugar: 13 g
- Sodium: 1198.3 mg
- Fat: 28.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.6 g
- Fiber: 21.6 g
- Protein: 34.7 g
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
Keywords: Instant Pot, Soup, Split Peas, Chorizo, Stew, Gluten-Free