How to Make A Delicious Pea Puree
There’s no quicker and easier way to prepare this vegetable than pea puree. That’s because you only need a few ingredients and a blender to have it ready in minutes.
This creamy mixture’s a perfect accompaniment for any protein, be it meat, fish, or tofu. In addition to adding a bright tone to the dish, it serves as a garnish and sauce to go with it.
If you keep reading, you’ll learn how to prepare it and how it can benefit your health.
Tasty and healthy pea puree
Peas are vegetables that you either adore or absolutely loathe. On many occasions, the problem lies in the monotony when cooking them–they’re almost always boiled and presented as a garnish.
And although they’re also delicious in this way, it’s also interesting to discover other recipes in which they’re the main character: Vegetable stews, casseroles, salads, or a soup for colder days.
Peas (Pisum sativum) are an ancestral food and a very valuable ingredient in traditional Mediterranean cuisine. They stand out for their fiber, vitamins C and K, and minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. In addition, they contain slightly more protein than other fresh vegetables.
Thanks to all this, they’re ideal for people at risk of anemia or with low iron intake in the diet. They also represent a good additional amount of selenium, folates, and antioxidants.
Experts are studying their potential benefits in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and digestive tract health.
But, in reality, it’s a very interesting food to introduce to the daily diet of anyone, even young children. To innovate in its preparation, here are two ways to prepare an original pea puree.
Discover: Learn How to Make Delicious Lentils with Vegetables
Ingredients for 4 servings of homemade pea puree
- 24 ounces of frozen peas
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 unit of cheese in portions
- 24 ounces of chicken broth
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
Step by step to prepare it
- To begin, cook the peas in a pot with water for 5 to 7 minutes. Once they’re ready, drain and set aside. It’s not advisable to cook them for too long. Otherwise, they will lose their characteristic color.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut the onion into small cubes and the garlic into larger pieces. In a wide-based frying pan or saucepan, add olive oil and fry both ingredients.
- After 3 minutes, add the bay leaf and the peas. Sauté everything together for a couple of minutes more over medium heat, making sure that everything is well mixed. Then add the cheese.
- Let stand a few minutes with the burner off and the cheese will melt.
- Pour all the contents in a blender glass or a bowl. Add a little chicken broth and blend. Then add a little more until the desired texture is obtained.
- For a different and fresher touch of flavor, add a few sprigs of mint or parsley when blending. Also, combined with a little avocado, you’ll obtain a much creamier texture.
For a vegan version of this recipe, replace the cheese with a little tofu or soy cream, or oatmeal for cooking. In the same way, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. A 100% plant-based dish that can be enjoyed by every one; even lactose intolerant people or those with a milk allergy.
Find out more: The Difference Between Milk Allergy and Lactose Intolerance
Another way to cook pea puree
Now we’ll offer a variation on the previous recipe. The following ingredients provide 4 servings.
- 24 ounces of frozen or fresh peas
- 1/2 onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 pinch of cumin
- 24 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon of butter or extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk or coconut milk
You prepare it with the following step by step:
- First, boil the peas in a pot with water and salt. If they’re frozen, pour directly without defrosting. They’re usually ready in about 5 minutes. In any case, it’s advisable to taste them to obtain the best cooking point.
- Peel and finely chop the onion and the garlic. Melt the butter in a frying pan over low heat and cook these vegetables for about 2 minutes.
- When they begin to acquire a translucent tone, it’s time to add the drained peas. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
- With the burner off, add the evaporated milk or coconut milk. Stir a little to mix everything and let it rest for a few minutes.
- Now it’s time to blend. To do this, pour all the ingredients in a blender and blend until a puree texture is obtained. Then, add the broth little by little according to the desired texture.
Once placed in a bowl, add some diced serrano ham, bread croutons, a little grated cheese, or sesame seeds to decorate.
Prepare more dishes with peas: How to Make Creamy Pea and Bacon Soup
All the details for the best pea purée
Pea puree itself is a very versatile dish, as it can be eaten in different ways. Depending on the amount of liquid added, you get anything from a soup to a perfect sauce.
In both cases, it offers the possibility of adding vitamins, minerals, and fiber to any meal. This is especially true if it accompanies a meat or fish dish or is served as part of a variety of appetizers.
For reasons of availability and convenience, frozen peas are almost always used in cooking. However, it’s also possible to prepare the puree with fresh vegetables. You just need to take into account that the weight measurements above refer to the peas once they’ve been extracted from the pods.
After preparation, you can store it in the refrigerator for a couple of days, maintaining all the flavor and properties. Small portions can be frozen for longer storage.
In short, we encourage you to try these recipes for many reasons: They’re an explosion of flavors, attractive to the eye, aromatic, and nutritious!
So, what are you waiting for?
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Dahl, W. J, et al. Review of the health benefits of peas (Pisum sativum L.). The British Journal of Nutrition. Agosto 2012. 108 Suppl 1:S3-10
- Jukanti A.K, et al. Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a review.