How to Cook Split Peas + Our Best Split Pea Recipes!
Here's exactly how to cook split peas-the pulse that never gets enough love in my opinion! Split peas are packed with fiber and protein just like their dried bean cousins, but there is no soaking, and they are ready to eat in just 20 minutes. Woohoo for weeknight shortcuts!
The short story: to cook split peas, rinse ⅔ cup dried split peas and add them to a pot with 1 ½ cups water or broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until tender and the liquid is absorbed. Salt to taste at the end. No soaking needed.
And the most underrated pulse award goes to...split peas! Seriously, other than the occasional pot of soup, most people don't experience the joy of these little green guys regularly in their lives.
Just like all the other pulses out there (pulses include dry peas, chickpeas, lentils, and beans.), split peas are a super affordable, delicious, sustainable, protein-packed source of fiber. But unlike their more finicky cousins, chickpeas and dried beans, split peas require NO presoaking or precooking, meaning they cook up in a FLASH.
What are split peas? Are they the same as peas?
Dried split peas are the same as regular green peas that you might have as a side dish for dinner. The difference comes in how they are processed. Instead of eating them fresh, split peas are shelled, dried, and then split in half along the natural seam of the pea-this splitting process is what makes them faster to cook.
Do I need to rinse or soak split peas before cooking them?
No soaking-split peas cook up fast from dried-but do give them a quick rinse and pick through them for any debris before they go in the pot.
If you tend to have digestive issues with beans and lentils, you might benefit from a split pea presoak. Just place the dried split peas in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let soak at room temperature over night. When it's time to cook, drain and rinse the split peas before cooking.
How do I cook split peas?
Split peas are typically cooked in something-like a split pea and ham soup-but split peas can also be cooked solo for adding into salads or putting in as part of an awesome grain bowl. Here's the method:
- Pour the dried split peas into a bowl or tray, and pick through. looking for any debris. Then rinse the split peas well in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add the split peas to a pot with your preferred cooking liquid-water, vegetable broth, and homemade bone broth are all good options.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stir, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the split peas are tender but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed. It should take about 20 minutes.
How long does it take to cook split peas?
Plan on about 20 minutes at a simmer. They're done when they're tender and the liquid is absorbed.
Can I cook them in the Instant Pot?
Sure can! The Instant Pot makes even quicker work of split peas, although I will say, the Instant Pot is quite a powerful tool and tends to make split peas go a little mushy and shapeless in my experience. I've had better results with making sure I vent right at the 10 minute mark.
- Pour the dried split peas into a bowl or tray, and pick through looking for any debris. Then rinse the split peas well in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add the split peas to the Instant Pot with your preferred cooking liquid-water, vegetable broth, and homemade bone broth are all good options.
- Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 7 minutes. Let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes before venting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Split peas are packed with tons of fiber, plant-based protein, iron, zinc, and phosphorus. They are a great addition to your plate!
They look a lot alike, but split peas and green lentils come from two entirely different plants. In many recipes, they can be used almost interchangeably (my lentil vegetable soup works great with split peas), just know, split peas tend to have a bit of a sweeter flavor and creamier texture. Green lentils can have an earthy flavor and a bit of a gritty texture.
Both are packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and nutrients. They are both excellent additions to your diet! Some folks do struggle with digesting pulses, so if you find yourself having tummy discomfort after eating either, you can presoak them to see if that gives you some relief.
I honestly think they taste a lot like sweet green peas! They have that sweet flavor and creamy texture that makes peas a family favorite in our house.
Not a whole lot! You can basically use them interchangeably (or even mixed) in recipes. Yellow split peas do have a bit of a more mild flavor.
📖 Recipe
How to Cook Split Peas
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup dried split peas
- 1 ½ cups liquid water, vegetable broth, chicken broth, or bone broth
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Pour the dried split peas into a bowl or tray, and pick through looking for any debris. Then rinse the split peas well in a fine-mesh sieve.
- Add the split peas to a pot with your preferred cooking liquid-water, vegetable broth, and bone broth are all good options.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, stir, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the split peas are tender, but not mushy and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat, and season with salt to taste.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Our Favorite Split Pea Recipes
Looking for interesting ways to use up a bag of split peas? We've got you covered, from our best split pea soup, to an unexpected split pea curry. Here are some of our fan-favorite split pea recipes.
And here are some of our favorite split pea recipes from around the web:
- Split Pea Tortilla Soup from Like Mother, Like Daughter adds some Tex-Mex flavor to a typical split pea soup recipe.
- Split Pea Breakfast Patties from USA Pulses are an excellent way to add some protein to your mornings.
- Dhalpuri Roti from One Green Planet are filled with a spiced split pea filling!
- Split Pea Spinach Patties from The Spruce Eats work well as a snack, appetizer, or light lunch.
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I tried the basic recipe (with water). I found that the water was nowhere close to boiling away in 20 minutes. Nor were the peas done. I suspect the ratio is closer to 1 cup peas to two cups water (less than half the water indicated in the recipe). And simmer time is closer to 35 minutes.
Hi Erik! We're sorry this didn't work out for you. It might not be an issue with the ratio of peas to liquid, but with the heat level when cooking. Did you hit a full boil before turning down the heat? Did you maintain a simmer once the heat was lowered or was it too low? The water shouldn't boil away, it should be absorbed by the split peas. If your split peas are older, they may take longer to soften! I hope these tips help. If you're still having issues, we're happy to help you troubleshoot further.
The peas didn't mash enough for me and kept falling out after the ingredients were mixed together. I took the peas that dell out and tried boiling them again to soften them and mash them more. About to combine back into mixture. Is that not recommended once the" dough" begins to form ? Hoping someone responds right away lol if not I will just post an update of how it went either way.
Hi, Kalea! We're not sure which recipe you're referring to, so we can't say for sure if that would work or not. But we hope it turned out well!
Getting the peas to cook just right for the salad was a bit beyond me. Even though I tried to simmer them, the water had cooked away before they were done. Unfortunately, when I added a bit more water, it didn't take long before they were mushy. The flavor is still decent, but I'm afraid things got diluted too much with the peas. I'm not sorry I tried this, though. I usually cook only for myself and had been spending too much of the COVID19 sheltering time making big batches of stuff in my Instantpot and freezing leftovers that I eat and eat and eat. Split peas seemed like perfect candidates for quicker, smaller batches, no pressure required. I will try the curry for sure. And what the heck, the hummus! Though I'll probably warm it and serve it over steamed veggies. No matter how full I get, crudites and dip never feels like a meal, and I don't have the discipline to eat little enough of them to have a meal after. But thanks for having all three recipes close together.
My favourite meal is the Summer Split Pea Salad.
Can you use yellow split peas for these recipes?
I haven't tried it, but I think so!
Thanks for the pulses ideas! Lent season is around the corner. These prices on steak and dried beans and peas seams like more than 10 or 20 years ago but the recipe ideas are fantastic! I get help from a food bank and don't know how to use these foods like lentils and split peas and red onions and lemons. Thanks for the recipe ideas! -Ash Wed 2019
You can also make hummus using dried fava beans/broad bean, dried peas, and red or brown lentils as well as yellow or green split peas and substitute other seed and nut butters for the tahini., including peanut butter. I prefer to use roasted sesame tahini to raw sesame tahini. Cider viegar may be substituted for the lemon juice. I prefer to use stone-pressed extra virgin olive oil for its fruity flavor. I freshly roast cumin seeds in a dry frying pan and grind them in a surabachi mortar. Freshly roasted and ground coriander seeds may be used in addition to or in place of the cumin. Try using fresh ginger juice in place of the cumin and coriander with green or yellow split peas.
I made the hummous this evening and it was beautiful. Thanks for the recipe
Just made the split pea curry, and with a couple of tweaks, it was delicious! I added extra paste as it didn't have enough flavour, and even then it needed more so I added a tsp or so of yellow curry powder. Because we like it spicy, I added some cayenne pepper. Pretty sure it will be a hit with the family and I'd probably double the recipe next time! Thanks!
I have been known to eat hummus as a meal, quite often, and my plate looks really similar to yours but...I've never tried split pea hummus. This looks great. Can't wait to try it (and the other split pea recipes too).
Hi Carrie,
Great article but you got me on "pulses" I had no idea what a pulse was so you have not only added new food ideas but a new word to my vocabulary! Thanks for all your work for us.