We recently cracked the code for perfect yellow split peas in the Instant Pot and realized they’d be the perfect candidate for soup!
Our favorite way to enjoy yellow split peas? At Ethiopian restaurants!
This soup is inspired by the flavors of Ethiopian Atir Kik Alicha (Yellow Split Pea Stew), but with a creamy twist. Just an Instant Pot and 9 ingredients required. Let us show you how it’s done!
Origins of Split Pea Soup
It’s believed that split pea soup was enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans as far back as 400-500 BC. And it’s been made in varying forms in many countries and continents around the world, including Canada, several European countries, African countries, the Caribbean, and beyond!
The following is our creamy, plant-based version using yellow split peas and spices commonly used in Ethiopian split pea stew.
Instant Pot Split Pea Soup
The Instant Pot is our preferred method for cooking split peas because they cook in less than half the time they take on the stovetop. Plus, they get perfectly tender with no soaking required!
To evoke the flavors of Ethiopian split pea stew, we include onion, garlic, ginger, and turmeric, plus a healthy pinch of black pepper to enhance the health benefits and bioavailability of the turmeric.
Once the water and vegetable broth go in, the Instant Pot does its speedy cooking magic (just 15 minutes!).
Once the pressure has released, coconut milk is added for creaminess. To make it even more smooth and creamy, you can optionally purée with an immersion blender.
We hope you LOVE this split pea soup! It’s:
Creamy
Gingery
Savory
Flavorful
Comforting
& Delicious!
It’s perfect as a main dish or side, and especially magical topped with cubed roasted sweet potatoes. It also pairs well with naan, gluten-free naan, roasted carrots, and/or coconut curried greens.
More Comforting Instant Pot Recipes
- Creamy Potato Green Split Pea Soup
- Warming Red Lentil Sweet Potato Soup
- Easy Instant Pot Chili (Vegan, Oil-Free)
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Creamy Yellow Split Pea Soup (Instant Pot Friendly!)
Ingredients
SOUP
- 1 Tbsp avocado or olive oil (or sub 1/4 cup water)
- 1 cup chopped white or yellow onion (1 small onion yields ~1 cup)
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced (2 cloves yield ~2 tsp minced)
- 1 ½ tsp finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 cup yellow split peas
- 1 cup water
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 healthy pinch ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk (canned)
- Sea salt, to taste (optional // only if needed)
GARNISH optional
- Coconut milk
- Freshly chopped cilantro
FOR SERVING optional
- Naan
- Roasted sweet potatoes (we used this method but omitted the spices)
Instructions
INSTANT POT
- Turn on the sauté function on your Instant Pot (to the default “Normal” — not high or low). Once hot, add oil (or water) and onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add a little bit more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Turn off the sauté function by pressing “Cancel.” Then add yellow split peas, water, vegetable broth, turmeric, and black pepper and stir.
- Put on the Instant Pot lid and turn to seal. Pressure cook on HIGH for 15 minutes (it will take about 5-10 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins). Once the timer goes off, let the steam release naturally (~15 minutes), or carefully press the quick release if in a hurry. Turn off the Instant Pot by pressing “Cancel.”
- Add coconut milk and stir to combine. Optionally, to purée soup, let it cool slightly, then carefully remove the inner pot from the Instant Pot base and tilt the pot to one side while using an immersion blender to purée. This will help prevent splatter. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed, adding salt to taste or coconut milk for creaminess.
- Best when fresh. Optionally, garnish with a swirl of coconut milk and freshly chopped cilantro. This soup pairs well with naan or cubed roasted sweet potatoes. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water as needed to prevent sticking.
STOVETOP
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add oil (or water) and onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until onion is translucent and fragrant. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Add a little bit more water as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add yellow split peas, water, vegetable broth, turmeric, and black pepper and stir. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until split peas are tender.
- Add coconut milk and stir to combine. Optionally, to purée soup, let it cool slightly, then tilt the pot while using an immersion blender to purée. This will help prevent splatter. Taste test and adjust as needed, adding more salt to taste or coconut milk for creaminess.
- Best when fresh. Optionally, garnish with a swirl of coconut milk and freshly chopped cilantro. This soup pairs well with naan or cubed roasted sweet potatoes. Store cooled leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop, adding a little water, as needed, to prevent sticking.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
*Inspired by the flavors of Ethiopian Atir Kik Alicha from Eleni’s Kitchen.
DaveT says
It’s so good. If possible, I’d give it 6 stars. The only changes I made were to add coconut milk instead of water and use 1/2 cup less chicken broth. I pureed with a stick blender and did not add additional coconut milk. This one is a keeper!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Dave! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
David Lapedis says
Made with coconut oil instead of milk to fry the veggies, reduced water by 1/2 cup, added a few mini-peppers, perfection!
Bilal says
Can I substitute Yellow split peas with split pigeon peas? I am asking because They are not exactly the same.
Hi Bilal, we don’t think pigeon peas would work in this one, but we haven’t tested it!
Brigitta says
I have made this soup, as my first thing ever to cook in my new Instant pot ( I have never used a pressure cooker before), and it turned out like a dream! I have been making yellow split pea soup for many years, but even with 10+ hours of soaking , and cooking for 2 hours, the peas were still tangibly hardish. This recipe wash delicious, simple,creamy and cooked so fast.
I added a piece of baked pumpkin puré to it, and it was superb! Thank you!
( we had it with your leek and mushroom quiche, which was amazing too :) )
Thank you so much for your sweet review, Brigitta! We’re honored you chose our recipe for your intro into the Instant Pot and are so glad you enjoyed the result! If you’re looking for more Instant Pot recipes, we have a round-up of them here. Hope that helps!
Faith says
Can I sub whole milk?
Hi Faith! You could try it! The flavor will be slightly different without the sweetness from the coconut milk!
Kai says
Super delicious and very budget friendly! I added in some celery and carrot at the same stage as the garlic, as I had some that needed to be used up. A few spoonfuls of copped and sautéed veggie Italian sausages make for a very tasty garnish.
Yum! Sound delish. Thanks for the great review, Kai!
brittny seideman says
how much dry ginger would you sub?
Hi Brittny, we haven’t tried this with dried ginger but other readers have had success with 1/4 tsp! Hope this helps!
Areya says
My community loves it when I make this soup! I like to add a tsp or two of berbere to the mix. Makes it super interesting!
Yum! Thanks for the great review, Areya!
Julia says
Okay we’re in the middle of a crazy heat wave so it’s not exactly soup weather, but I came across this recipe while looking for easy & clean ‘dump dinners’. I’ve been injured and on bed rest for a couple weeks and my body’s just *over* take out and those quick processed meals.
This recipe was not only delicious but budget friendly and my picky husband liked it too. Best of all, it was super quick and easy for me to create a hearty, nutritious meal in no time.
P.s. I couldn’t get yellow split peas so I used green and they worked great. Next time I will double the recipe since we both wished there were seconds. In 109 degree weather!
We’re so glad the recipe was helpful, Julia! Wishing you a speedy recovery! xoxo
Lucy says
This is a simple, nutritious and delicious recipe. Will be making this one again, so good!
Great! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lucy. Thank you for sharing! xo
Becky says
This soup is delicious, easy to make, and such a gorgeous golden color! I did the oil-free stove-top version and served it with a vegan Israeli Couscous & Kale Salad. Next time I think I’ll either leave part of the soup unblended for more texture, or blend all of it in the Vitamix for a smoother soup. The immersion blender doesn’t get it as smooth as I like. The flavor is on point.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Becky! xo
Carl says
Super delicious! I’ll definitely be making again. Thanks so much for the tasty recipe
Woohoo! Thanks, Carl!
Amy says
I made this recipe in my Instant Pot for myself and my husband and we were blown away at how delicious it was. Especially considering how easy it was! I pretty much followed the recipe exactly, including blending a little with my immersion blender (but not enough to make it a purée). Yum. So good.
I also made some homemade naan bread to go with it and it was perfection.
Ohh yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Amy. So glad you enjoyed!
Christy says
Great recipe, though I’ve tweaked it a bit. I omit the onions and add in a bit of onion powder instead. I’m not a huge onion fan, so that’s why I leave it out. Sometimes I substitute 1/4 tsp of ground ginger if I don’t have fresh ginger, thought I certainly prefer using the fresh ginger. I also add chopped carrots and sweet potatoes into the soup and let them simmer with the split peas.
I don’t have an instant pot, so I simmer everything about 45 minutes on the stove after I’ve sauteed the base and added everything else, except for the coconut milk, which I don’t add until the very end.
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing, Christy!
Nina says
Yum! Easy, nutritious and comes together quickly with pantry staples. I did add a few carrots and celery when sauteing the onions to bump up the veg (and I needed to use them up). I used homemade veg broth and leftover lite coco milk from another recipe. Lots of pepper at the end with some lime. I left it as a brothy soup so I also added extra broth as it cooked down a lot. I didn’t have any cilantro unfortunately. Such a fresh flavor, a great soup for the beginning of Nov/post Halloween/welcome to SoCal Fall. Thank you MB for another winner!
Amazing! Love your modifications, Nina! Thank you for the kind review! xo
Nicole Madsen says
This soup was easy to make and very comforting and tasty. I made roasted yams and topped with cilantro. We all loved it!
Yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nicole!
Zara says
Thank you for this amazing meal! All your recipes are incredible so I made this version times 4! (16 servings)
Thank you for all the recipes you share, you are the reason I love cooking now!
Aw, thank you so much for sharing, Zara! It makes us so happy that you’re enjoying cooking now! xoxo
Mackenzie says
This soup was SO GOOD! I have an off-brand pressure cooker (not an insta-pot) 🤣 and it doesn’t have a sauté setting so I just sautéed everything in a pan and then transferred it. I also added jalapeño for a little extra kick. I had to cook it twice (30 min total) but I think that’s just an issue with my weird cooker.
This soup had so much flavor. Will definitely make it again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mackenzie! Thank you so much for sharing! xo
Mel says
Very good right out of the Instant Pot, even better the next day. Definitely could have used an immersion blender, but not necessary. Excellent flavor and texture. A few leaves of cilantro looked wonderfully appealing and added to the depth of the flavor. Will definitely make again.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mel! Thank you for sharing! xo
Ann Juodakis says
This was delicious but I would cut back on the liquid a little, it came out a little thinner than I would have liked. Also definitely double the recipe – it only made enough for 2 of us!
Thanks for sharing, Ann! Glad to hear you enjoyed the flavor!
Odette says
I used my instant pot – just perfect!
Yay! Thank you for sharing, Odette! xo
CVB says
This soup is SO. GOOD. So much better than the sum of its parts! I remember not being that jazzed when I first saw the recipe but I’m so glad I tried it. I would recommend reducing the liquid a little but holy smokes, this is one of my favorite soup recipes and it is so low effort.
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you gave it a try and enjoyed it. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sejal! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sejal says
OMG this is SOOOO good! Made it exactly as the recipe suggested in Instant Pot, only added flaky finishing salt when I ladled into a bowl, and loved this simple recipe of ethiopian heaven. For all of the desis out there with a stockpile of dals, I researched that yellow split peas are chana dal. I used Toovar Dal, which are yellow split pigeon peas and it was delicious.
Molly says
Texture good, flavor bland. We made in instant pot… maybe that mellowed the spices too much?
Hi Molly, sorry to hear that! We made it in the Instant Pot too. Did you use freshly chopped ginger, garlic, and onion? That’s primarily where the flavor comes from. Another ideas is perhaps the brand of broth wasn’t very flavorful?
Tash says
10/10 delicious and 10/10 would recommend and have recommended! Thanks for great recipe. Tasty and budget friendly!
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Tash! xo
Kate says
This is verrrry tasty. I was surprised, considering how simple the recipe is! Loving the Instant Pot recipes. Perfect for a busy mom. Please keep them coming!
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying them, Kate! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Krista says
I made this recently and was surprised by how rich the flavor was. I can not use coconut milk but used oat instead. Added a little more potatoes to create the creaminess. I added homemade croutons. It was very satisfying and never tired of eating the leftovers.
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Krista. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Carol Knapp says
This was delicious! We topped with sautéed tempeh strips (“fakin’ bacon”), cilantro (good suggestion!), and served with sriracha, and naan on the side.
Yum! Thanks so much for sharing, Carol! xo
Nicole says
This was so delicious! It’s definitely different than anything we’ve eaten lately and was perfect for a snowy evening. I couldn’t find yellow split peas, so I replaced them with Tur Dal and this turned out very well on the stove top. These did not need to cook as long as yellow split peas. We topped with sweet potatoes as suggested. I was too lazy to make naan and we can never find vegan naan at the store, so we served with crusty bread and garlic confit. I doubled the recipe and glad I did, though I think I added too much water for tur dal. Next time I will make it thicker so we can grab it with bread like traditional Ethiopian food. Five stars for a gingery, fantastic recipe. Thank you for another great one, Dana! We will definitely add this to our rotation.
Thanks so much for sharing, Nicole! Your modifications sound lovely! xo
Kayla says
I just made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I ended up doubling the recipe and serving it as a main meal for the family.
The only minor change I made to the soup was only adding 1 cup of water (instead of doubling it to 2 like the rest of the ingredients), and I followed the option to puree it to make it more creamy. With the sweet potato croutons, I seasoned them with ~1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp cumin, some salt, and sprayed them with olive oil before baking (which is just my general go-to for sweet potato cubes). But honestly, even before adding the ‘croutons’, the soup was already delicious on its own. With the coriander and the swirl of coconut milk just before serving, it was perfect.
Highly recommend this and will absolutely be making it again – everyone loved it!
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Kayla! And your modifications sound lovely. Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Naj says
Thank you, it looks yummy. Would you please tell me what can I sub for coconut milk?
Hi Naj, perhaps cashew milk? But we haven’t tried that way. Let us know how it goes!
Mrs E says
Hi, Curious as to what brand immersion blender is pictured in this post? Thanks
Cuisinart, we believe!
Holly T says
Made this last night! Absolutely delicious, easy and satisfying. I love rotating through pantry staples, and this recipe came at the perfect time. Hearty, gingery, absolutely warm & comforting. I love quick meals where I can to use my instantpot. This is yet another keeper, thanks to the MB!
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Holly! xo
Jude says
This was absolutely wonderful. I did end up using a big onion which was probably twice as much onion. I used a full tablespoon of minced ginger. I found that a small can (~ 4 oz) of coconut milk works just perfect. I think next time I will double it though because it didn’t really make that much.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jude! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Mrs E says
Hi! Is the Muehller immersion blender the one pictured in your post, maybe a different model as pictured? I have not heard of this brand, is this the one you use on a regualr basis? I am looking for a new immersion blender.
Hi! We do like that one. Our other preferred at the moment is a KitchenAid, but really any with a removable, stainless steel blade are good in our experience. Hope that helps!
Linda Mikhail says
I don’t have an immersion blender, may I use the food processor instead? Is the taste similar to your delicious red lentil curry soup, I love that!
A food processor should work well! It is a fairly similar flavor profile, but less spicy.
Linda Mikhail says
Thank you for your quick response!
Mrs E says
Hi! This is great information is the kitchenaid hand blender the one pictured in your soup photo?
It’s not, but very similar.
Zakiya says
Could I make this with red lentils by lowering the cooking time in the instant pot?
We haven’t tried it that way, but that sounds promising. Let us know how it goes!
Zakiya says
It turned out delicious!! 😋😋 I also just cooked on medium low in a deep sauté pan. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Zakiya!
Diana says
I have a package of Chana Dal. Is this the same as yellow split peas??? Thanks
We haven’t tried this recipe with chana dal, but it might work. It likely won’t be as smooth and creamy though. Let us know if you try it!
Marge says
Would this have a different flavor with green split peas? I have never used yellow. Thanks-
Yes, they do have a different flavor. Yellow split peas are best here, but let us know if you give it a try with green.
Phoebe says
This looks delicious! What size instant pot do you use? I have the 3-quart, it would be helpful to know what size the recipe fits in so I can know ahead of time if I need to halve the recipe or not! Thanks!
Hi Phoebe, we used a 6-quart Instant Pot, but 3-quart should be large enough for this one!
Phoebe says
Awesome, thank you so much! Looking forward to trying it!