Instant Pot Creamy Split Pea Soup

A super simple recipe for instant pot creamy split pea soup made with Thai red curry paste for an extra spicy kick. Also perfect for meal prep and it’s freezer-friendly!

Feel free to customize it to your liking. Possible add-ons and toppings as well as extra tips are part of this post.

Cooking in a pressure cooker is hassle-free and easy. We use it a lot in our home and the food is always delicious so I hope you try too!

Note: This is a vegetarian yellow split pea soup. It contains Thai red curry paste that is usually made with fish stock. To be sure it is vegan, check the ingredient list or make your own paste.

Ingredients that you need:

Olive oil – this is my preferred cooking oil, but you can use alternatives if you want to.
Onion – either white or yellow
Split peas – I used the yellow kind
Ginger – use fresh for best results
Thai red curry paste – a must in this recipe. You don’t need much but then again, it depends on everyone’s taste.
Vegetable stock – you can substitute with any other stock from turkey, chicken, stock cubes, bouillon….
Coconut milk – not the coconut milk drink!
Fresh cilantro

As you can see, this pressure cooker creamy split pea soup needs only 9 ingredients, and some are pretty customizable. The whole batch can be doubled if you want.

Tools needed:

Instant pot – if you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can make it on a stovetop instead.
Wooden spoon – for mixing
Chopping board + knife – for the onion, peeling the ginger, and for chopping the herbs.
Fine grater – for the ginger
Immersion mixer – to blend everything until you get nice creamy yellow split pea soup.

Optional add-ons & topping ideas

• We absolutely love the thin vermicelli noodles (or that kind). You can serve them on side in case some of your diners don’t want to add them to the soup.
• As a topping, use anything you like from croutons, a drizzle of olive oil, finely chopped fresh parsley or chives or cilantro, seeds of any kind. If I have homemade everything bagel seasoning on hand, I make sure to use it too! It is so good.
• As a side, garlic bread or any fresh baguette or artisan bread is perfect. Dinner rolls will also work great.
• A dollop of sour cream or yogurt (for non-vegans) – this also makes this split pea soup milder if you feel it is too spicy from the Thai curry paste.

Pro tips for making creamy split pea soup

• This creamy split pea soup may appear thin but note that it thickens a lot as it cools down. If you were to add some more split pea to it, it might turn out extremely thick. Now if it does, you can thin it with more coconut milk or vegetable broth. You can do the same when reheating it.
• It is perfect for a meal prep as it will last for several days in your fridge when stored properly (preferably in an airtight container) but it also freezes well! To freeze, fill a Ziploc bag and lay it flat on a baking sheet or tray and flash freeze or pour into a freezer-friendly container (always leave some space so it can expand in both the bag and container). That way, it will last for months but we like to eat it withing 3 months.

More instant pot soup recipes for you to try:

• Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Potato Leek Soup
• Creamy Tortellini Soup

Print Email Pin

5 from 5 votes

Instant Pot Creamy Split Pea Soup

A super simple recipe for instant pot creamy split pea soup made with Thai red curry paste for an extra spicy kick. Also perfect for a meal prep and it’s freezer-friendly!

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 portions, see note 6

Calories: 419

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil , see note 1
• 1 medium onion , finely minced (about 2/3 cup)
• ½ thumb fresh ginger , finely grated, see note 2
• ½ teaspoon Thai red curry paste , see note 3
• 1 cup yellow split peas (about 210 grams)
• 4 cups vegetable stock (1-liter), see note 4
• 1 can coconut milk (14-ounce/400 milliliters)
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander , finely chopped , see note 5

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• Turn on the Instant Pot and press “SAUTE”.
• Add oil and onion and saute until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes.
• Add ginger and saute for a minute before adding the paste. Mix everything well with a wooden spoon. Add the rest of the ingredients: yellow split pea, stock, coconut milk and coriander. Turn off the “SAUTE” function.
• Cover the pot with a lid and lock it into its position. Turn the steam release valve to “SEALING” and press “PRESSURE COOK” or “MANUAL” (old models). Set the timer to 4 minutes (also make sure the pressure is set to high).
• When the time is up, wait until the pin drops itself before opening the lid.
• With an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Taste. Add more cilantro/parsley or seasoning if you like or just sprinkle some on top before serving (see note 7).
• Enjoy!

Notes

1. If you don’t have olive oil, use what you have on hand – sunflower, vegetable, even sesame will work but it will change the soups flavor a bit.
2. Make sure to use fresh ginger for the best result.
3. Use as much/as little as you like. I’ve noticed that once I added a full teaspoon and it was just perfect while another time it was too spicy. So, I suggest starting with less and tasting it after it has been done. You can still add more at the end.
4. Vegetable stock can be substituted with chicken or turkey stock or bouillon or stock cubes.
5. Add more if you like or substitute with fresh parsley!
6. You should get at least 6 cups of soup out of this recipe. This can feed up to 6 people if serving 1 cup per person.
7. I don’t use any salt as it is not needed when using regular stock. However, they vary from brand to brand and so does the amount of sodium they contain. For that reason, you might need to use salt or if you decide to use a low sodium stock.
8. This creamy split pea soup is perfect for a meal-prep. It also freezes well!
9. The soup will thicken a lot as it cools but when re-heated it turns thinner again.
10. The recipe was developed for a 6-quart/6-liter instant pot.
11. The overall cooking time does not include the time the pot needs to come to pressure (about 10 minutes), nor the time it needs to release the pressure (about 15 minutes).
12. More tips, topping ideas, and other useful information for beginner cooks can be found above this recipe card.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Instant pot soup recipe, Split pea soup

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Creamy Split Pea Soup

Amount per Serving

Calories

419

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

25

g

38

%

Saturated Fat

 

20

g

125

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

4

g

Sodium

 

962

mg

42

%

Potassium

 

744

mg

21

%

Carbohydrates

 

38

g

13

%

Fiber

 

13

g

54

%

Sugar

 

7

g

8

%

Protein

 

14

g

28

%

Vitamin A

 

680

IU

14

%

Vitamin C

 

4

mg

5

%

Calcium

 

52

mg

5

%

Iron

 

6

mg

33

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

** As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Did you make this recipe?I love hearing from you when you’ve made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @happyfoodstube or leave me a comment below.

LEAVE A COMMENT