With an Instant Pot and less than 40 minutes, you can make perfectly cooked split peas every time! Let us show you how.
Instant Pot Split Peas
If you want to cook split peas in a fraction of the time without standing over a hot stove, you’re in the right place!
- Ratio = 1 part split peas : 3 parts water (or broth)
- Cook Time = 15 minutes
- Release = 15 minute natural release, then release any remaining pressure
Cooking split peas this way results in a soupy consistency. It’s a perfect canvas for adding your favorite seasonings, such as onion, garlic, celery, herbs, salt, and pepper.
Did you find this helpful? If so, be sure to check out our Instant Pot Cooking Times Guide for perfectly cooked grains and beans every time!
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!
Instant Pot Green Split Peas (Fast, Tender, No Soaking!)
A quick & simple method for making PERFECT cooked green split peas! Plus, a versatile template for creating split pea soup or stew.
Servings 4 (~2/3-cup servings)
Ingredients
- 1 cup green split peas
- 3 cups water (or vegetable broth for more flavor)
ADD-INS optional
- Chopped onion
- Chopped celery
- Minced garlic
- Fresh or dried herbs (such as thyme, oregano, and/or bay leaf)
- Sea salt & black pepper
Instructions
- OPTIONAL: If using flavor add-ins, sauté onion, celery, and garlic in a little oil or water until tender and lightly browned.
- Add split peas and water (or vegetable broth) to the Instant Pot and stir to prevent sticking. Optionally, add fresh or dried herbs, sea salt, and/or black pepper. Pressure cook on high for 15 minutes (it will take about 8 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize before cooking begins).
- Once the timer goes off, allow to naturally release for 15 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove lid once steam has fully escaped.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
*Total time includes active cook time, release time, and the time it takes for the Instant Pot to heat up (~8 minutes).
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 2/3-cup serving Calories: 178 Carbohydrates: 30.2 g Protein: 11.3 g Fat: 1.9 g Saturated Fat: 0.2 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 2 mg Potassium: 417 mg Fiber: 10.9 g Sugar: 1.5 g Vitamin A: 73.01 IU Vitamin C: 0.88 mg Calcium: 22.54 mg Iron: 2.32 mg
Dee says
I’ve made this several times. First time I made the basic recipe with no changes, and it was excellent. I’ve tweaked it since then, and these days I always start with chopped onion, celery, garlic, and carrot sautéed in olive oil with a little salt and pepper (garlic for the last few seconds only). Next the water with chicken better than bouillon (or a combo of chicken and beef) and the split peas, a couple dried bay leaves. If I have some ham or sausage I’ll toss that in as well.
Thanks so much for sharing, Dee! xoxo
David says
I prefer semi firm peas and used 2:1 water:peas and 3 mins. Consistancy is more optimized as a side dish on a plate than a soup but thanks for posting your take on it! 5 star rating is AS A SOUP.
Thank you for sharing, David!
Ok says
Awesome but how long to cook the split peas when pease were soaked over night?
Hi, we haven’t tested it that way, but we would estimate they would cook in maybe 3-5 minutes?
David M Allen says
I made mine a little deferent. i made it with sausage in sted of ham. i know it sounds bad, but tasted so yummy! Thanks for the tips!
Theresa Antoinette Settembrino says
Thank you for this beautiful recipe..
Thank you for the lovely review, Theresa!
Heidi says
I return to this recipe frequently. Thank you for making it so simple! :)
We’re so glad it’s helpful, Heidi! xo
Jordan says
What if I already soaked the peas overnight? Does this change the cook time or the amount of water needed to cook them? Thanks!
Hi Jordan, yes, it will change the cook time and amount of water. Both will be less, but we haven’t tried that recently so don’t have a precise time/measurement.
David says
1 minute High Pressure then release pressure asap for firmer peas; 10 mins for soft, but not mushy peas (leave pressurized for mushy peas).
Annie says
I was cooking to use in another recipe so I cooked for 1/2 the time you listed and they were a total pile of mush. What did I do wrong, I used dry green split peas. Thanks
Hi Annie, if you’re looking for a more firm split pea, the stovetop is the best way to go! The Instant Pot will produce a more soup consistency.
Coby says
These were so good, and so simple to make! I had just a little bit of dried split peas that I wanted to use up, and decided to give this recipe a try. I cut it in half to fit the amount of split peas I had. I sprinkled the finished product with some smoked sea salt- delicious!
Woohoo! Thanks for the review, Coby!
Teri Q says
I have a large Instapot. Can I double this straight across, including time?
Hi Teri, we’d suggest keeping the cook time the same, but doubling the split peas and water. Hope that helps!
Teri Q says
I meant to say same time…. I doubled everything. It had great taste but was too thick. I added 2 more cups of broth to the leftover which was perfect. Not certain what to do for the next batch, however. I’ll add more broth to start. I like to cook it with a smoked ham joint, too.
Hi Teri, adding more broth should create a less thick consistency. Or if what you’re preferring is more formed vs. tender split pea, it might be best to soak them and then cook for a much shorter amount of time. We haven’t tried that though!
Iko says
This recipe makes a pea soup, but I just want to cook the peas to use in a different dish.
Hi, in our experience, when cooking them in the Instant Pot, they either turn out undercooked or tender like for soup – there’s no in between. Perhaps if you soaked them and cooked for a very short time it would work? We haven’t tested that!
Jeff says
I made it but with kale and corn in it.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Jeff!
Kelsey says
Delicious and so convenient compared to soaking and simmering on the stove. Used the add-ins and veg broth and turned out very flavourful and a great texture.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kelsey! Thank you for sharing! xo
Melissa says
This was so helpful. I also tried cooking for about 12 min..quick release pressure and then add fresh broccoli and cauliflower and cream cheese…cook for an additional 4 min. When done I put in a blender. Oh..and I love garlic so used plenty. Love this soup.
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thank you for sharing, Melissa! xo
Lise says
What about cooking whole dried green peas? How long would that take?
Thanks,
Lise
Hi Lise, we aren’t sure on that one as we haven’t experimented with whole dried green peas. Let us know if you try it!
Kelly says
Just had a taste. Delicious. I used celery, onion and garlic on saute mode for about 5 minutes before adding the peas and water. It is a little soupy for my taste so I will cut down the water next time so it’s much thicker. Maybe next time I will try adding carrots to the saute for more flavor. A great base!
Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your experience! You can try cutting back the water a bit, but the trouble we find with the Instant Pot is that if the beans aren’t fully covered by at least ~1/2 inch, they cook unevenly. An alternative is to evaporate water at the end by removing the lid and turning to the sauté function, stirring frequently until the desired consistency is achieved. Hope that’s helpful!
Kim says
Just made this…so simple and tasty! I sauteed a few veggies right before, carrots, garlic, celery, and added the herbs I have on hand. The texture is right on and I love that it’s so easy to vary the spices…this will stay in my rotation.
Thank you!
*Note, I have a big Instapot to I set mine to 13 minutes and did a natural release for about 8. I feel like I have to adjust my time with recipes otherwise food gets overcooked.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kim! Thanks for the lovely review and sharing your modifications! xo
Kim says
Just made this…so simple and tasty! I sauteed a few veggies right before, carrots, garlic, celery, and added the herbs I have on hand. The texture is right on and I love that it’s so easy to vary the spices…this will stay in my rotation.
Thank you!
*Note, I have a big Instapot to I set mine to 13 minutes and did a natural release for about 8. I feel like I have to adjust my time with recipes otherwise food gets overcooked.
Wonderful! thanks for sharing, Kim! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Diane Stafrace says
I would love to try your recipes but I don’t have an instant pot :(
How can I still make this soup in a normal pot please?
Hi Diane, you can find stovetop instructions beneath the Instant Pot instructions. Hope that helps!
Elena says
For this recipe I don’t see any stovetop instructions below the instant pot directions.
Oh! Sorry about that, Elena. We were referring to this recipe. Hope that helps!
Brenda says
After having an instant pit for a year or more….I’ve decided its time to make friends with it and learn how to cook with it. When this simple recipe popped up on my email I gave it a try last night.
The recipe in the email is laid out better than the one on Pinterest. It has exact ingredient measurements and uses full fat canned coconut milk which is pure magic in this soup!
Anyhow, I’m not a cook, just wanted to make pea soup for my 90 year old mom on a winter day.
This is a FABULOUS soup!!! I doubled the recipe for sharing. It has been filed with family favorites.
Thank you to Minimalist Baker for providing such amazing recipes! I love reading your emails/links to new recipes and love how you can make great nutritional meals with minimal ingredients.
Happy follower
Brenda
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Brenda! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Jenny says
Made for my hubby after oral surgery. Split pea with ham is his fave, and he loved this one. Used Knorr chicken stock tub and smoked salt. He’s a happy guy! Simple, quick, easy, and tasty! Thanks for sharing this with us.
We’re so glad he enjoyed it. Wishing him a speedy recovery. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jenny!
Never Again says
Followed directions and they ended up as green mush. Not what I had in mind for cooked split peas.
Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it! The tricky thing with the Instant Pot is that you have to use enough water to cover the split peas, which results in more of a soupy consistency (as mentioned in the post). You can try reducing the cook time and using less water, but in our experience, that makes them undercooked and more likely to result in digestive distress.
Monica says
I have a big pot, too. To get a thicker or purée soup, I drained the excess water. Then I folded in my sautéed ingredients and ham. The texture was divine. Thank you for sharing!
Question… My soup has a thick, flat dry after taste. How can I offset that? An acid?
I originally mistakenly cooked with ham bone -the works!- in a traditional pot. The last thing I did was add 4 pounds of uncooked split peas. ick!.
In effort to salvage it… i added a purée (mirepoix) of sautéed onions, celery, carrot and smoked ham. *And your basic pea soup with instapot.
Yours is turned my original around. Ty!
Still a thick, flat dry after taste lingers. Any suggestions welcomed. I hate pitch the whole batch.
Cheers! ~Monica
Hi Monica, so glad it could help! Possibly some coconut aminos? We’d suggest this recipe for guidance. Hope that helps!
Raquel says
Omg! I found your recipe bc I had to use these dried split peas I bought before they expire. I didn’t add onions and I used vegan cream protein broth. AMAZING! I also added cayenne pepper spice for a little kick. This was so good. It was the perfect texture and I thought I hated split pea soup after all these years even though I never had it. LOL! Thank you for the recipe…
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Raquel! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Stacia says
I made this and LOVED it! I am a huge fan of yours and am so grateful for all of your nourishing and delicious recipes. Thank you!
Aw, yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stacia. Thanks so much for sharing! xo