PRESSURE COOKER SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HORSERADISH CREAM

Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup With Horseradish Cream image

The pressure cooker turns simple ingredients into a creamy and satisfying soup in under an hour. Split peas are a type of field pea that's been dried and split. They have been eaten around the world for ages, because they are cheap, nonperishable and widely available. This recipe is enriched a ham hock, which provides salty pork bits. Ham hocks can be harder to find, but they are also inexpensive and add body and flavor to soups - and freeze well, so they are worth having on hand. If you don't have a ham hock, you can use a leftover ham bone or diced thick-cut ham, or toss in some crisped bacon at the end. (You can also prepare this recipe in a slow-cooker.)

Provided by Sarah DiGregorio

Categories dinner, lunch, soups and stews, main course, side dish

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

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Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or olive oil)
1 large yellow or red onion, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 fresh thyme sprigs, leaves removed, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
Kosher salt and black pepper
6 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup dry white wine or vermouth (see Tip)
1 pound green or yellow split peas
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 pound)
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons jarred, drained horseradish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Steps:

Turn on the sauté setting on a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker. Melt the butter, then add the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, carrot, garlic, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, bay leaves, 2 teaspoons salt and a few generous grinds of pepper. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and well combined, about 2 minutes.
Pour in the stock and wine, and let the mixture come to a bubble, scraping the bottom of the pan. Stir in the spit peas and ham hock.
Put the lid on the pressure cooker and turn the steam valve to sealed. Set to cook on high pressure for 18 minutes. After the cook time, turn off the heat and let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually by twisting the steam valve to vent.
The soup will thicken as it sits; if it is too thick for your taste, stir in a bit of warm broth or water. If you'd like the soup to be thicker, turn on the sauté setting and let the soup bubble with the lid off for a few minutes, to reduce. Discard the bay leaves, then stir in the lemon juice.
Transfer the ham hock to a bowl. Using two forks, pull the meat from the ham hock; discard the bone and return the meat to the pot. Taste the soup and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
In a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, horseradish and mustard, and season it with a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve the soup with the horseradish cream for topping. (Split pea soup thickens dramatically when chilled, so if you have leftovers, stir in a little water or broth when reheating to loosen the texture.)