Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe

This Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe will be a winner with anyone who enjoys split peas, lemon, garlic, and ginger!And I think this is so great for a think-outside-the-box idea for a side dish!

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If you like split peas you’re going to love this Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe. Even for those who opt for leaving out the cilantro, this was one of the most interesting flavor combinations I’ve tasted in a long time. If you’re watching carbs you might want to limit portion size. But a small amount of this sharing the plate with a nice piece of fish or meat and a salad would make a lovely meal. Or see the suggestions below for ideas to make it as part of a vegetarian meal.

If you’ve eaten Indian food and enjoyed one of the creamy lentil stew dishes in the category called Dal, this recipe using yellow split peas is the same idea. The main difference is that in this recipe split peas are left a little firmer. And this yellow split pea recipe is vegan, and for vegetarians this could make a wonderful stew-like main dish. Even if you’ve never cooked anything like this, I bet you’ll be surprised how much you like it!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• extra-virgin Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• Yellow Split Peas (affiliate link)
• canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
• minced fresh ginger root or Minced Ginger (affiliate link) from a jar
• lemon zest
• fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• fresh ground black pepper
• cilantro (optional)
• lemon wedges (optional)

Can you make Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe without cilantro?

Cilantro fans will love the touch of cilantro in this recipe. But if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy cilantro, I’d use thinly sliced green onion to garnish the finished dish.

Are Yellow Split Peas high in carbs?

Split peas do have some carbs of course, but they also have a fair amount of fiber. So if you have a moderate serving of this yellow split peas recipe, it will have about 12 net carbs.

How to Make the Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe

1. This first photo is the yellow split peas before cooking. They look just like lentils only they’re yellow. I bought these in the bulk section at Whole Foods, but you can buy Yellow Split Peas (affiliate link) at Amazon.
2. The recipe recommended rinsing the yellow split peas, and it did remove some of the extra starch and help the loose hulls to rise to the top. (If I had yellow split peas from a bag I might not bother to rinse them.)
3. I’m a fan of Minced Garlic (affiliate link) and Minced Ginger (affiliate link) that come in a jar for some things, but for a recipe like this I’d prefer fresh garlic and ginger root if you can manage that.  Use a big chef’s knife to chop up 3-4 garlic cloves to get 2 tsp. finely minced garlic.
4. Heat 2 T olive oil in a small heavy dutch oven, add the minced garlic and saute 1 minute.
5. Add the yellow split peas and stir until they’re well coated with oil. 
6. Then add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer until the split peas are soft and most of the stock is absorbed. The recipe said 20-30 minutes cooking time, but I simmered mine for 45 minutes to get them to look like this. (Don’t worry if there’s a little bit of stock left; most of it will absorb during the resting time.)
7. When the split peas are done, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper. 
8. Then add 1 T minced fresh ginger root, 1 T lemon zest, and 1/4 cup lemon juice, stir into the split peas, cover again and let it rest 10-15 minutes.
9. If you like cilantro, chop up some while the split peas are resting. (The cilantro is completely optional, but it was good in this.)
10. Serve the yellow split peas with chopped cilantro if desired (or sliced green onion) and additional lemon slices to squeeze on at the table.

Make it a Vegetarian Meal:

This Yellow Split Pea Side Dish would be great as a meatless meal with one of these dishes:

• Roasted Pepper Salad
• Roasted Cabbage with Lemon
• Stir-Fried Tofu with Ginger and Soy Sauce
• Moroccan Salad (with Cabbage, Carrots, and Mint)
• Grilled Eggplant with Feta and Herbs

Another Recipe with Yellow Split Peas:

Years after I posted this recipe I used the golden split peas again in a delicious (but not vegetarian) recipe for Yellow Split Pea Soup.

Weekend Food Prep:

This yellow split pea recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

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Yield: 6 servings

Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

This Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe is loaded with interesting flavors.You can skip the cilantro if you're not a fan, or garnish the dish with thinly sliced green onion.

Ingredients

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp. finely minced garlic (see notes)
• 2 cups yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed if needed
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 T minced fresh ginger root (see notes)
• 1 T lemon zest (grated lemon peel)
• 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (see notes)
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro to sprinkle on at serving time (optional)
• additional lemon wedges to squeeze on at serving time (optional)

Instructions

1. Put yellow split peas in a bowl and pick over, removing any hulls or stones you find in the lentils.
2. Rinse with cold water if needed and drain. (If you buy bulk split peas I would rinse, but split peas purchased in a bag probably don’t need rinsing.)
3. Finely mince 3-4 garlic cloves to make 2 tsp. minced garlic.
4. Heat olive oil in a small heavy dutch oven, add garlic and saute 1 minute or just until garlic becomes fragrant.
5. Add yellow split peas and stir several times so all the split peas get coated with oil.
6. Add vegetable broth and bring to a low simmer, then cover simmer until split peas are soft but not mushy and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 30-45 minutes.  (The recipe said 20-30 minutes, but mine took 45 minutes to become soft.  Cooking time is determined by how old the split peas are.)
7. While split peas are cooking, zest the lemons, then squeeze the juice.  Finely mince fresh ginger root to make 1 T minced ginger.
8. When split peas are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and stir in the lemon zest, minced ginger, and lemon juice.
9. Put the lid back on and let the split peas rest 10-15 minutes to develop flavors.  (Don’t worry if there is still some liquid; most of it will absorb during the resting time.)
10. While split peas are resting chop cilantro and cut lemon wedges (if using.)
11. Serve the lemony split peas warm, with chopped cilantro (or green onion) and lemon wedges for guests to use at the table if desired.

Notes

I used about 3-4 cloves garlic; do not use minced garlic from a jar for this recipe. For best results, do not use minced ginger from a jar for this recipe.

I used 2 lemons to get this much grated lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice.

This recipe was adapted slightly from The Sunset Cookbook.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 135Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 0mgSodium 544mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 6gSugar 3gProtein 6g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions: 
This Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe might be too high in carbs for a low-carb diet, although split peas have a fair amount of fiber; check the nutritional information and see what you think. Lentils and split peas area good low-glycemic choice for the South Beach Diet, but all dried beans and legumes should be limited to 1/3 to 1/2 cup serving for phase one. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This interesting Yellow Split Pea Recipe was first posted in 2011. It was last updated with more information in 2026.