My family is a huge fan of #splitpeasoup. I make it about once a month. I don't always add ham and its still so good! I use a pressure cooker to give it that intense rich flavour; thicken with root vegetables and ham, if desired. #pressurecookersoup
Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, small diced (save other half for remaining recipe)
2 cups carrots, sliced
2 cups celery, sliced
3 cups potato, sliced (peel left on optional)
sprinkling salt-free seasoning (optional)
bay leaf
1 cup water
pinch of salt
oil
1 ham bone, if you have it or want (see Tips and Tricks)
1/2 medium onion, small diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
3 cups split peas, rinsed and sorted
1/2 cup white wine
7 cups water (see instructions note)
large pinch salt
1 whole carrot
1 whole celery stalk
3-4 cups ham, cooked, sliced in bite-size portions
1-3 tsp hot sauce
1-2 tbsp fresh dill
2 tsp smoked paprika
freshly chopped thyme
Instructions
Read Susie's Tips and Tricks below
1. Place onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, salt-free seasoning, bay leaf, water and salt in pressure cooker. Set on manual high-pressure and for 2 minutes. When timer goes off, release excess pressure immediately. Drain and set aside.
2. Drizzle a small amount of oil in pot (see Tips and Tricks) with Saute mode on. Add onions, garlic, and ham bone (if using). Add water and white wine. Add a large pinch of salt and a whole carrot and celery (these will get tossed, they're just extra flavour makers).
3. Lock lid and valve, then pressure cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Let the pressure release on its own; this will likely take 30 to 40 minutes (remember, it's still completing its cooking without the machine running). The fuller a pressure cooker is, the longer it takes for the pressure to fall.
4. Do not turn off the pressure cooker, it goes into warming mode for food safety. Now remove the ham bone (if used), and remove whole carrot and celery. Add the ham (optional) and the carrot/potato mixture. Stir together and let warm up. Taste your soup and add: hot sauce, dill, and or thyme; a bit of paprika if desired. You likely will need to salt again.
Susie's Tips and Tricks
I know you can toss together split pea on the stove and, along with the veggies, have a soup ready in a few hours, but I prefer to do this soup in two parts, so I can have the entire meal ready in an hour.
This soup has a pretty plain base; it needs lots of seasoning. I highly recommend adding the hot sauce; it lifts the soup to the next level.
Don't forget simple black pepper.
You want to add oil for the peas; this helps prevent massive foaming in the pressure cooker so it operates optimally.
Using the ham bone gives plenty of flavour, so I use water to cook the peas. But, if you don't have a bone, go ahead and chicken stock instead. Or use water or vegetable stock and make it vegetarian! If using stock, I recommend a 32 oz carton plus 3 cups of water.
Careful, do not fill pressure cooker more than half full with your water and peas. You need room for the cooker to operate safely. Of course, on warming mode you can fill the pot fully.
Want some spice to your soup? Add some brown mustard or some prepared horseradish.
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