This sweet pea purée is a vibrantly green side dish that makes the perfect addition to your next dinner party or family dinner.
The purée might look a little like baby food, but don't be fooled--this is a tasty adult side dish that's enhanced with butter, broth, heavy cream and seasoning. It's easy to make and ready in only 15 minutes.
It's especially good with bacon-wrapped scallops, salmon and creamy pasta or gnocchi dishes. I always serve it with my creamy, cheesy gnocchi. The flavors complement each other perfectly.
Some people refuse to eat peas or complain when they find a green pea mixed in with their food (me as a kid). Those people don't realize that the world of vegetables goes well beyond cold canned peas in the supermarket.
The flavors in this purée combined create an easy and delicious side dish that's nothing like the peas you used to eat at elementary school.
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🫛Pea Purée Ingredients
This recipe yields approximately 1 ¼ cups purée.
- onions - Yellow onions are best for cooking.
- chicken broth - I use reduced sodium chicken broth.
- heavy cream - Also known as heavy whipping cream.
- frozen peas - Sweet peas provide the best flavor! They are also known as garden peas or English peas. The ones I buy are labeled 'sweetlets' and are picked and flash frozen when they are young to retain their sweetness. You can also find them at farmers' markets beginning in the spring.
- lemon zest - Freshly zested--this adds such a nice pop of flavor to the purée.
- extra virgin olive oil (not pictured) - Choose a high quality EVOO to finish off the purée. This is optional.
*Check recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
💭Pro Tip: The smaller the pot, the better. The peas become better submerged in the liquid and cook more evenly.
🔪How to Make it
Step 1. Melt the butter. Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter in it.
Step 2. Cook the onions. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Step 3. Simmer. Add the broth, cream and peas and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until soft (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Step 4. Purée and season. Purée the pea mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan and stir in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Warm it back up over medium heat, if needed.
Step 5. Serve. Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil (optional) and serve.
🥗Serving Suggestions
When it's time to serve this purée, the bright green color offers a world of possibilities.
- You can garnish your purée with herbs like mint or add a swirl of olive oil.
- If you love the taste of sweet peas, this recipe makes the perfect, enticing side dish for your next dinner party or family dinner.
- You could also use this purée as a sauce or top it with a protein like lamb, steak (try my tutorial for how to grill carne asada for an amazing steak recipe) or seafood like scallops or crispy skin salmon. If you're using it as a sauce or a garnish on its own, the brilliant green hue brings out the redness of the steak and the bright colors of the vegetables.
- Up your plating game by artfully smearing it on a plate before topping it with the protein.
- Try it with oven-baked potatoes, cheesy pasta or creamy gnocchi to balance out the flavors. Whatever you choose, it’ll help bring your food presentation to fine-dining quality.
- End your dinner on a sweet note with this strawberry shortcake ice cream.
❓Recipe FAQs
Serve your pea purée as a side dish while it's still warm for best results.
This dish is best served immediately, but if you're planning ahead, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure you use an airtight container and heat it up again to bring out all of the delicious, savory flavors.
According to University of Minnesota Extension, you can refreeze frozen, cooked foods but the quality will be downgraded. It must have been kept cold for no more than 3-4 days and left out of the fridge for no more than 2 hours.
❤️More Side Dish Recipes You Will Love
Have you turned the picky eaters in your life into vegetable lovers? If you tried this 🫛 Sweet Pea Purée Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Sweet Pea Purée Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup yellow onions - chopped
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas - sweet peas are best
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest - freshly zested
- salt and pepper - to taste
- extra-virgin olive oil - for drizzling on the finished purée (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and melt the butter in it.2 tablespoons butter
- Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.½ cup yellow onions
- Add the broth, cream and peas and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until soft (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly.¼ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup heavy cream, 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- Purée the pea mixture in a blender or food processor. Return to the saucepan and stir in the lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Warm it back up over medium heat, if needed.1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest
- Transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle with olive oil (optional) and serve.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 1 ¼ cups purée.
- The smaller the pot, the better. The peas become better submerged in the liquid and cook more evenly.
- This dish is best served immediately, but if you're planning ahead, you can store it in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure you reheat it first.
- It's a great accompaniment to scallops, steak, salmon, potatoes, creamy pasta and gnocchi.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Roger says
Excellent, ingenious recipe!
Joss D says
I'm glad you think so! Thank you! 🙂