Ingredients: 1 cup dried split peas 3.5 cups water a tiny amount of oil optional seasoning *) Put the water in the pressure cooker and turn on the heat. *) While the water is heating, sort the peas. One method is to pour them hand-to-hand and let them roll off, as if panning for gold. Another method is to pour them into a shallow baking pan. Or both. This allows you to pick out all the rocks and stems and other things that aren't peas. *) Dump the sorted peas into the water. *) Pour about 1 mL of olive oil into a spoon. Use some of it to lubricate the pressure cooker gasket and mating surface. Stir the rest of it into the water, to kill the foam. Boil for 30 seconds or so, with the lid off, to make sure you've killed the foam. *) Presurize. -- If using a gas stove, turn off the heat as soon as full pressure is reached. -- If using an electric stove, it pays to anticipate a little bit. Turn the heat down (or off) a bit early, because of the huge heat capacity of the element. You want it to reach full pressure, but anything more than that is a waste of time, energy, and water, and risks scorching the peas. Remember, you can't easily stir stuff inside a pressure cooker. *) As soon as it reaches full pressure, turn off the heat and walk away. No simmering at pressure is required. By the time the pressure returns to zero, the peas will be fully disintegrated and soupified. *) I like it fine as-is. No salt is required. No seasoning is required, but you can spice it up however you like. ==================== Mutations and digressions: These days you can buy pre-sifted flour and even pre-washed blue jeans. Why can't I buy competently pre-sorted peas? Selecting them for size and density can't be that hard. Irma says to soak the peas overnight before cooking, and run them through the blender afterward, but none of that is necessary if you use the pressure cooker. It greatly decreases the start-to-finish time, and decreases the amount of cleanup required. The instructions that came with my pressure cooker said never, Never, NEVER put split peas in the pressure cooker. That's because they could foam up and plug the vent. HOWEVER it is easy to kill the foam with a tiny amount of oil. Better living through chemistry.