Description

This Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup with Smoked Ham Hock is a deliciously hearty way to warm up during the cold fall and winter months. Dried green split peas combine with a simple blend of carrots, celery, and onions seasoned with garlic, thyme, bay, and a pinch of red pepper flakes in your electric pressure cooker. Everything cooks down together with a rich smoked ham hock until it's fall-off-the-bone tender. The resulting soup is thick and hearty, with rich chunks of smoked ham -- perfect for cozying up with on the chilliest of nights.

Ingredients

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2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil - OR - 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic
2 large carrots, peeled and chopped (about 230 g / 1 1/2 cups)
3 stalks celery, chopped (about 122g / 1 cup)
1 bundle green onions, chopped (about 54 g / 1 cup) - OR - 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (about 52 g / 1 cup)
6-8 cups chicken broth (depending on thickness preference *see notes*)
1 lb dried green split peas, rinsed and picked through
2 tsp dried thyme - OR - 2 tbsp fresh thyme
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 lbs smoked ham hock (around 1/2 lb meat after you discard the bones, tendon, skin)

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Instructions

Turn the electric pressure cooker to the saute function (select medium if your machine offers the choice). Heat 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil (or 2 tbsp olive oil + 2 cloves minced garlic). When the oil begins to shimmer add the carrots, celery, and onions. Saute until the carrots and celery begin to soften (if using yellow onion cook until translucent), about 5-minutes.
Turn off the saute function and deglaze with 6 cups chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot to ensure that any browned buts are dislodged.
Add green split peas, thyme, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and bay leaves and stir to combine. Then add the ham hock to the pot on top of the other ingredients.
Secure the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 20-minutes. The machine will take about 15-minutes to come to pressure before it begins its countdown. Once finished, natural release the pressure for 15-minutes, then safely quick release the remaining pressure.
Test the temperature of the ham hock with a meat thermometer. It should have reached a minimum of 165 degrees F, but will likely end up around 200 degrees F.
Separate the meat from bone on your ham hock. This can usually be done easily with a small knife. Discard bones, tendons, and excess skin. Shred the meat and combine back into the pot with the soup. Taste for salt and pepper and adjust, if needed.
The soup will thickens substantially as it cools, so the remaining 2 cups chicken broth can be used to thin as desired. Serve warm.

Notes

Nutritional information on Whip & Wander is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

Adjusting the thickness with broth: I find that the soup is lovely as-is the first night when cooked with 6 cups of chicken broth, but needs to be thinned for leftovers as it thickens in the fridge to the consistency of mashed potatoes. If you prefer a thinner soup, an additional 2 cups of broth can be used initially to cook the soup, or, you can thin as desired for the remaining leftovers.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 457
Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 1429 mg
Fat: 13 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 53 g
Fiber: 20 g
Protein: 42 g
Cholesterol: 71 mg