How to Cook Split Peas
How to cook split peas so they’re tender but not mushy, with no soaking required. Use them in salads, soups, and anything else that calls for cooked split peas.
Servings: 4 servings (2 cups)
Calories: 112kcal
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
Liquid: Use water, vegetable broth, or bone broth. Broth gives the split peas more flavor if you’re serving them on their own.
Rinse first: Sort through the dried peas for any debris, then rinse them well in a fine-mesh strainer.
Soaking: Not needed. If beans and pulses tend to bother your digestion, soak the peas overnight in cold water at room temperature, then drain and rinse before cooking.
How to tell they’re done: They should be soft but not mushy, with most of the liquid absorbed. If they’re still firm after 20 minutes, give them a few more minutes and check again.
Instant Pot method: Cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before venting. The Instant Pot tends to make split peas a little mushy and shapeless, so the stovetop is the better route when you want them to hold their shape for salads.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 201mg | Potassium: 322mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 49IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
