Peas and Chicken Stew is a recipe that is perfect for a quick dinner during the week. Use fresh peas in the summer and frozen peas all year round.
Peas And Chicken Stew
This peas and chicken stew recipe is a Romanian one that I often make. I love peas. They are sweet, kids friendly, and nutritious.
You can notice my love for peas looking at these recipes:
Andouille Sausages with Peas Potatoes and Leeks
This dish is perfect for making as a quick dinner during the week. It doesn’t take more than 30-40 minutes to put together, and the result is a delicious dish that the entire family will love.
One key ingredient for this dish is fresh dill which brings a lot of flavor to the peas. I use dill in many dishes, like these new potatoes with dill and butter or this Romanian-style meatloaf.
However, I am not sure about other parts of the United States, but I noticed that people are not using a lot of dill in Minnesota. This might explain why I have difficulty finding fresh dill in the grocery stores.
For that matter, I am forced to have dried dill available all year round.
I remember being in love with this dish when I was growing up. I loved the texture, the taste, and the dipping of fresh bread in the sauce of this stew.
My father used to tease me while watching me clean up the plate with chunks of bread: ” I guess we don’t need to do dishes today. You already licked them clean!”
This recipe is a classic in Romanian cuisine, and there are different versions of this dish based on the region of the country or preferences.
For example, the sauce for this recipe is usually thickened with flour. My personal preference is to skip the flour, add less water and let the tomato sauce or paste to thicken the sauce naturally by simmering it until it gets to the right consistency.
I don’t have anything against the flour because the amount is very small anyway, but I like the dish better without. However, some of you out there might look for a gluten-free dish. Therefore, this might be a good one for you.
In the unfortunate situation you end up with too much sauce, you can use a little bit of flour to thicken the sauce to your liking. (how to do that, read the instructions on the recipe)
How To Make this Peas And Chicken Stew
Start by gathering the ingredients. Nothing is more annoying than not having all the ingredients prepared for cooking.
Chicken needs to be cleaned and cut into small pieces, like bite-size.
Onions need to be diced. Grab the tomato sauce or paste, or a can of diced tomatoes in juice and some dill. Do you have fresh dill? Wash it and chop it small now.
Step one- Chicken
Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the chicken.
Stir in the pan, so the chicken gets coated with oil and starts cooking.
Brown it on all sides.
Step two – Onions
Add the chopped onions.
Stir the onions and chicken together.
Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.
Step three – Peas
Time for the frozen peas. I usually make the dish using a bag of 16 oz of frozen peas. It is enough for 2-4 people.
Add a little bit of water, just enough for the vegetables to cook. The water should not cover the peas completely. Also, add salt at this point.
Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the peas and onions are softer.
Step four – Tomatoes
I make this dish using a variety of different tomato products. If I have tomato paste, I will use that. If I have tomato sauce or cans of diced tomatoes in their juice, I use that.
The secret to all this is to adjust the amount of water you use.
When I cook, I try to adapt and adjust the recipe according to my needs or the ingredients I have around. Being creative in the kitchen allows you to make a particular dish any time, in any place you might be.
Find out how much water you need to add for each situation by visiting the recipe card at the bottom of this article.
Stir everything to combine and simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste again for salt. Add dill.
Voila! The peas and chicken stew is now ready.
You can make this peas stew with meat or vegetarian
You can also make the recipe with pork or beef. My Romanian books indicate that even rabbit meat(that, by the way, tastes like chicken) is excellent for this particular dish.
However, some of you might look into a vegetarian dish, and that’s ok because you can remove the meat entirely and start the dish with onions first.
I don’t like dill, can I replace it with some other herb?
Yes, try parsley.
I added too much water by mistake and now the stew looks more like a soup.
It happens, don’t worry about that. Grab a tablespoon of flour or corn starch and dissolve it in some cold water, making sure the mixture is free of lumps and smooth. Add it to the simmering stew and use a whisk to incorporate the mixture into the sauce.
Let the sauce thicken for 10 seconds, then remove the pan from the heat. Set the table, cut some good bread, and have a wonderful meal with your family.
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Interested in more stew recipes?
Chicken Stewed In Tomato Garlic And Cinnamon
Lecsó Hungarian Pepper Tomato Stew
10 Bone-In Chicken Breast Recipes
Peas And Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 16 ounces chicken could be boneless breast, thighs, or bone-in legs
- 1 large onion chopped
- 16 ounces frozen peas
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste OR 1/2 cup tomato sauce OR one small can of diced tomatoes in juice 14.5oz
- ¼ cup fresh dill chopped OR 2 teaspoons dried dill
- water just to cover the peas when cooking
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- Optional: use only if the sauce is too thin- 1 tablespoon flour or corn starch)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the chicken cut into small pieces. Stir in the pan, so the chicken gets coated with oil and starts cooking. Brown the meat on all sides.
- Add the chopped onions and cook them until translucent. Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.
- Add the frozen peas and a little bit of water, just enough for the vegetables to cook. The water should not cover the peas completely. Taste for salt.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the peas and onions are softer.
- Add the tomato paste. Stir well so the tomato paste dissolves in the water and creates a sauce.
- Simmer for 5 minutes more. Taste for salt again and add chopped fresh dill.