Have you ever wondered what's the best way to cook green peas? This stewed peas recipe is the answer to this question.
It’s a traditional Greek dish very similar to Stewed Green Beans and one of my all-time favorites. Slowly stewed in tomato sauce, along with potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchinis, and a bit of fresh dill which I must say goes perfectly with green peas.
The secret to cooking the best green peas is for one, to combine them with the right ingredients to enhance their sweetness, for example, sweet veggies like onions, carrots, tomatoes, corn. And for two, to cook them for quite some time until they become sweet enough (just like you do with other sweet veggies like carrots).
This stewed green peas recipe is a truly healthy dish to include in your weekly meal plan. Green peas are a very nutritious vegetable and have lots of health benefits.
One of their most amazing benefits is that they help you maintain a healthy body weight. How? Peas are one of the top fat burning foods for women. And to make this even better green peas support healthy blood sugar control (healthy blood sugar = less sugar+starchy food cravings). So if you’re trying to lose some weight than adding a few portions of peas to your weekly meals would be a great addition.
Green peas are also a great source of protein, fiber, and vitamins.
But are frozen peas nutritious as well?
Like with any other food freezing brings down the nutritious value a bit. On the other hand, freezing food doesn’t only kill some of the good guys but also the bad guys (like bacteria). Another benefit of freezing is that it tenderizes and matures food. Think of green beans or a veal chop for example. If they come from the freezer they’re always more tender. Not to mention octopus or squid which definitely needs some freezing. And to answer the question, yes, frozen peas are nutritious as well they only lose a small percentage of their nutritional value.
In this recipe (and almost every time I cook peas) I use frozen ones. They’re harvested at the right time and get frozen immediately. Which means they are never old and dry (which is always a risk with fresh produce).
To make this Greek Pea Stew, I first caramelize the onion in plenty of olive oil. Then I toss in the peas and carrots, cook for a few minutes more, before adding the remaining ingredients, + the water and simmer along until peas get very soft and sweet.
What to serve with peas
In Greece, we ALWAYS serve our veggie dishes with a big piece of feta cheese and a few slices of bread for dipping in the sauce. But I do have a few more suggestions like:
- Crispy baked bacon, sausage, or prosciutto on top.
- Serve along with Grilled Chicken or Oven Roasted Chicken.
- Fried chicken liver on the side (one of my favorites).
Recipe
Traditional Greek Green Peas Stew
Ingredients
- 100 ml olive oil extra virgin
- 1 small red onion minced
- 700 grams / 1.5 lb green peas fresh or frozen
- 2 large carrots cut in large slices
- 1 large ripe tomato chopped
- 6 tablespoons tomato sauce
- a handfull of dill
- 8 baby potatoes skin on
- 3-4 very small light green zucchinis cut into 5 cm /3.5-inch pieces
Instructions
- In a medium-sized cooking pot heat olive oil over high heat.
- Caramelize the onion. Add the peas and the carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring every now and then.
- Add the chopped fresh tomato and the tomato juice. Cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- Pour enough water in the pot in order to cover all the veggies. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes, zucchinis, and dill. Make sure the potatoes are dipped in the stew otherwise add a bit more water.
- Simmer for another 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the stew has thickened sufficiently.
Nutrition
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Very delicious. But, why are there 438 calories in one serving? I never would have guessed that. Thank you 🙂
Hi Tarren. It's the olive oil that has many calories.