My garden pea & potato stew is a rustic comfort dish that is super easy to make and delicious. As the name suggests, the stew is made with juicy potatoes and peas simmered in a flavourful tomato sauce. It is a perfect vegan and gluten-free meal loaded with vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and nutrients. 

HISTORY OF MY POTATO AND PEA STEW

This dish comes from the traditional Bulgarian cuisine and is a more nutritious variation of the local plain pea stew.

Pea stews are popular all over the Balkans, and, as I recently found out, in Italy too. Even though no evidence is present that the pea stew originated in Bulgaria, the locals claim it as an authentic Bulgarian dish and are very protective of it. That’s not surprising as it is such an old staple dish there. As far as I can remember, pea stew has always been on the menu back home. When I was young, I ate it so often that I was bored with it for a while. Pea stews and casseroles were served in my school canteen and later in my university canteen all the time. Nowadays, I am back to really enjoying this stew, as it’s a delicious meal that is also budget-friendly and easy to make. 

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT POTATO AND PEA STEW?

Making this stew is easy. You will need only a few inexpensive vegetables, fragrant spices and a large heavy-based casserole pot with a lid. The stew is cooked throughout only in one pot on the hob.

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE

Peas: Today, I have made this stew with canned garden peas, but you can use fresh or frozen peas instead. If you are making the stew with fresh peas from your garden, make sure to choose healthy peas. Of course, it is better if you use larger-sized peas, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Potatoes: To avoid having crumbly or mashy potatoes in your stew, use waxy potatoes. They keep their shape better when cooked. If you are interested in reading more about potatoes and viewing another wonderful vegan recipe, visit my post Perfectly Sauteed Potatoes.

Other vegetables: All stew veggies are present in my recipe here. We have onion, celery, carrot and garlic. They all impart beautiful flavours and add texture to the stew. Commonly, brown onion is used when making this dish. Shallots are another good option. They deliver wonderful sweetness in the stew. You can use fresh tomatoes in the recipe, but they can be quite watery. That is why I recommend using the more concentrated tomato puree instead. Something that I like to add, that is not in the original recipe, is chilli paste. Both my husband and I love well-spiced food and the chilli paste delivers a beautiful heat in the stew.

Spices: As we don’t like bland food at home and when the original recipe states only black pepper and salt are to be used, I rebel and always add extra spices. In this stew, I added sweet paprika which adds beautiful sweet and smoky tones to the dish. I replaced the black pepper with white pepper to deliver more delicate piquancy. And, of course, I added my favourite winter savory spice, which contains wonderful flavours and elevates the aromas in the dish making it very special. I love fresh coriander and add it to the stew instead of parsley. I know it’s not everyone’s favourite fresh herb and if you do not like it, use fresh parsley. The fresh herbs are added to the stew toward the end of cooking. However, if you have health problems and strong spices are not suitable for you, you can omit the paprika and pepper.

Oil for cooking: I like to cook with olive oil instead of vegetable oil because olive oil has beautiful flavours and is believed to be the healthier option. By sautéed the stew vegetables in olive oil, they absorb the flavours of the oil and transport them to the stew.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

My vegan potato & pea stew is a budget-friendly dish that you can enjoy anytime. All you need to do is chop and sauté a few vegetables and follow the steps below to cook the stew :

STEP 1: GATHER THE INGREDIENTS.

Peel and dice the onion. Wash and slice the celery sticks. Peel the carrot and garlic. For a rustic appearance of the dish, cut the garlic and carrot into large chunks.

Peel and cut the potatoes into medium-sized cubes. Soak the potato cubes in cold water for 15 minutes to remove the excess starch in them. Then pat them dry lightly. The garden peas are added straight out of the freezer, so you don’t have to do anything before you use them.

Prepare a large heavy-based casserole pot with a lid, chop the fresh herbs and get the dry spices ready to use.

STEP 2: SAUTEE THE ONION, GARLIC AND CARROT.

Start by sauteing the diced onion first. When the onion releases flavour (1-2 minutes), add the garlic and carrots. Saute until the carrot is nearly cooked and soft. Add the celery and the tomato and chilli puree. Stir well and saute for 2-3 minutes.

STEP 3: SIMMER THE POTATOES WITH THE SPICES.

Add the potato cubes and the sweet paprika to the pot, stir and saute for a minute. Pour the stock in and bring to the boil. Drop the bay leaf and the dry spices in the stock. Reduce the heat, cover with the lid and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are nearly soft. You can poke them with a fork to check.

STEP4: ADD THE PEAS & THE FRESH HERBS.

Add the frozen peas to the stew. I also add the sugar and chopped fresh coriander at this step. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes.

You can also add some raw spinach to the stew when the stew is ready if you like. Let the spinach cook for 2-3 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and let it sit covered for a few minutes for the flavours to settle.

🍲 HOW TO SERVE POTATO AND PEA STEW

The stew is a meal in itself. To appreciate it best, serve it garnished with fresh finely chopped parsley or coriander and crusty bread. You can also have a fresh salad on the side.

Store stew leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze if you want to keep it longer. To freeze potato & pea stew, place the completely cooled stew in a freezer-safe container. Leave about an inch for expansion once it freezes. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw the stew in the fridge first, then heat on the stove. Add a little water if needed.

Enjoy!! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳

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