Pressure Cooker Split Pea Soup With Horseradish Cream

Step 1

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.

Step 2

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.

Step 3

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.

Step 4

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.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

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.)