Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe
Anyone who likes split peas, lemon, garlic, and ginger will love this Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe that’s loaded with interesting flavors! And 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 is one of the most interesting flavor combinations I’ve tasted in a long time.
If you’re watching carbs you might need to limit portion sizes, 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. If you’ve ever eaten Indian food and enjoyed one of the creamy lentil stew dishes in the category called Dal, this is the same idea except the yellow split peas are left a little firmer.
And this yellow split pea recipe is vegan, and for vegetarians this would make a wonderful stew-like main dish. Even if you’ve never cooked anything like this, I urge you to be adventurous and 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
- canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
- minced fresh ginger root or Minced Ginger (affiliate link) from a jar
- lemon zest
- fresh-squeezed lemon juice, I used my fresh-frozen lemon juice
- fresh ground black pepper
- cilantro (optional)
- lemon wedges (optional)
Can you make the 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
- 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 the grocery store by my house also carries yellow lentils in one-pound bags.
- 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.)
- 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.
- Heat 2 T olive oil in a small heavy dutch oven, add the minced garlic and saute 1 minute.
- Add the yellow split peas and stir until they’re well coated with oil.
- Then add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer until the split peas are soft but not mushy 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.)
- When the split peas are done, season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper and add 1 T minced fresh ginger root, 1 T lemon zest, and 1/4 cup lemon juice.
- Stir into the split peas, then cover again and let it rest 10-15 minutes.
- If you like cilantro, chop up some while the split peas are resting. (The cilantro is completely optional, but it was good in this.)
- Serve split peas with chopped cilantro if desired and additional lemon slices to squeeze on at the table.
Make it a Meal:
For a low-glycemic meal I’d love this as a side dish with something like Greek Salmon or Chile Mustard Pork Kabobs, with a nice green salad on the side.
More Recipes with Yellow Split Peas:
- Yellow Split Pea Soup from Kalyn’s Kitchen
- Basic Yellow Split Pea Dal from Viet World Kitchen
- Yellow Split Pea Soup from Simply Recipes
Weekend Food Prep:
This yellow split peas 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!
Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe
This Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe is loaded with interesting flavors; skip the cilantro if you're not a fan.
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
- Put yellow split peas in a bowl and pick over, removing any hulls or stones you find in the lentils.
- 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.)
- Finely mince 3-4 garlic cloves to make 2 tsp. minced garlic.
- Heat olive oil in a small heavy dutch oven, add garlic and saute 1 minute or just until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add yellow split peas and stir several times so all the split peas get coated with oil.
- 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.)
- While split peas are cooking, zest the lemons, then squeeze the juice. Finely mince fresh ginger root to make 1 T minced ginger.
- 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.
- 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.)
- While split peas are resting chop cilantro and cut lemon wedges (if using.)
- Serve warm, with chopped cilantro 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
6Serving Size
1Amount 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.
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 2023.
37 Comments on “Lemony Yellow Split Pea Recipe”
I made this and it was really good after eating a ton of rich foods for Thanksgiving! I used jarred ginger and garlic and it was still good………it’s all I had on hand.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! And good to know it still turned out well with minced garlic and ginger from a jar! Thanks for sharing that info.
This was good!
Glad you enjoyed it! I am trying to figure out why the photos are suddenly not showing up.
Wow! The basics of this recipe are fantastic!
Since I didn’t have enough lemon juice, I substituted fresh orange and zest. Also, I didn’t have cilantro on hand. This is a keeper, I am looking forward to trying more of your recipes!
Thanks, so glad you liked it!
“I used about 3-4 cloves garlic; do not use minced garlic from a jar for this recipe.”
Please don’t tell me not to do something unless you tell me why. Why can’t I use minced garlic from a jar for this recipe? Thank you.
I give recommendations that I think will give the best flavor. This is an Indian recipe and fresh garlic would always be used in Indian food. Of course you can ignore my suggestions as you wish.
Can I use green split peas?
I haven’t made this with green split peas. To be honest, I am not sure how similar the flavor will be. I think it will be similar, but if you try it I’d love to hear how it works.
Not too sure I’d ever make this recipe again. We were not fans of this.
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it. The recipe has some fans as you can see from the comments, it was posted many years ago and I haven’t made it myself for quite a while.
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I found a forgotten bag of yellow split peas on the shelf and went looking for a side dish to use them in. I used your recipe with a hint of turmeric in the broth. I didn't want to hit the store and so had to make do with some frozen cilantro and ginger. This still worked very well and will be a keeper in my MasterCook collection.
Glad you enjoyed it!
It's delicious. Great flavor combo. I haven't tried it with cilantro yet; will do tomorrow. Thnx for the great recipe.
Glad to hear you liked it!
I've never cooked yellow split peas before, but this was easy, came out great and was delicious (minus the cilantro). I'm a big fan of them now.
Heather, the split peas are creamy and delicious. I think you'll like it. And definitely with cilantro!
I've never tried cooking with yellow split peas, just the green ones. Your pictures look so enticing that I may have to try this. And definitely with cilantro. Yum!
Kulsum, thank you! I love them too, not sure where I got the taste for them because I never had any lentils except green split peas as a kid (and of course, I did not like them them.)
Kalyn, Nothing beats lentils! Or may be I'm partial towards it being an Indian. Lovely pictures 🙂
Randibeth, so glad you liked it so much. Red lentils are softer than others, so that's why they didn't keep their shape. You're not doing anything wrong, the red lentils just get soft much more quickly!
this was DELICIOUS! so easy too. at first i thought the lemon was too strong but the cilantro totally balances it out. i used red lentils instead as i couldn't find yellow at my market. i served with roasted cauliflower and broccoli and a little brown rice for a perfect vegan dinner.
thanks for another yummy dish, this is a keeper.
< i can never get my lentils to keep their shape though, they are always mushy 🙁 hmmm >
Renie, how lucky is that! I do try to keep that in mind.
Vanessa, you're welcome. Glad it was timely.
Maria, if you like lemon, garlic, ginger, and cilanatro you'll love this.
Culinarian, thank you. You'll like it if you like split peas.
the color is fabulous, and I love split peas, so I am sure it tastes fabulous too. thanks!
I love the color of this dish. I am sure it tastes good too:)
I love dal, lentils, legumes, whatever you want to call it. I will definitely give this a try considering it's time for a much overdue cleanse. Thanks for the inspiration, Kalyn!
I love that the majority of your recipes, I have the ingredients on hand. Thanks for keeping everything so simple! I can't wait to try these.
Linda, the original recipe had butter which I replaced with olive oil. Other than that, super healthy way to prepare split peas.
Joanne, this is full of flavor. If you like split peas, give it a try.
Wow this is super intriguing! I actually haven't seen any split pea dishes that caught my eye in a while but with the garlic and ginger in this one…well I'll definitely be giving it a go!
WOW! This looks super tasty. I also looked into the ingredients how this one is prepared, I find it very healthy too. My friends who love Indian food will surely give this a go. Thank you so much for sharing this! 🙂
Lydia, I agree about the yellow split peas. Very tasty!
Pam, do you like lentils? If you do I bet you'd like this. The recipe did say you could make it with brown lentils as well, but I say no way!
Mimi, yes you can have all types of dried beans and lentils on phase one, but very small amounts.
Doggybloggy, I don't think I'd add curry because there is already a lot of flavor going on, but go ahead and try it if it sounds good to you!
looks good – I bet a little curry would be a nice touch as well
Phase One? Wow! Who knew? This is good news.
I love love love cilantro!
I don't think I like split peas. But I love cilantro…so hmmmm..
Even though I'm one of those people who would leave out the cilantro, I love the combination of flavors in this dish. Yellow split peas are so creamy and delicious.