Ervilhas Guisadas, Portuguese Stewed Peas
Ervilhas guisadas is Portuguese home cooking at its plainest: peas stewed soft in a light tomato and onion base, sharp with cilantro. The classic version cracks eggs into the pan to poach at the end and often carries a few coins of chouriço; without them the dish stands perfectly well, because peas simmered with onion and tomato are naturally sweet and filling on their own. Frozen peas are picked and frozen at their peak and cost a fraction of anything fresh out of season, so this is a side you can make any month of the year. It comes together in one pan in half an hour. Serve it alongside grains or greens, or eat a bowl on its own with the cilantro piled on.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Frozen peas
- 1 Yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 Carrot, diced small
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 Bay leave
- 1/3 cup Cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground
Method
- Sweat the onion and carrot in a wide pan with a splash of water over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent, about 8 minutes, adding more water whenever the pan dries. This slow, gentle start is where the sweetness comes from, so resist the urge to brown or rush it.
- Add the garlic and cook one minute until fragrant, then stir in the crushed tomatoes and the bay leaf. Let the tomato bubble and thicken for 5 minutes so it loses its raw edge and turns into a proper base rather than a splash of sauce.
- Add the peas with half a cup (120 ml) of water, cover, and simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the peas are tender and the sauce has drawn around them. Frozen peas need only to heat through and soften, so do not boil them hard or they go grey and lose their sweetness.
- Fish out the bay leaf, then stir in most of the cilantro and the black pepper. Cilantro is the Portuguese signature in this dish, stirred in at the end so it stays green and fragrant instead of cooking away.
- Let the pan sit off the heat for a few minutes before serving, scattered with the last of the cilantro. A short rest lets the stew settle and the flavors pull together, and it is just as good warm as hot.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 150 calories, 8 g protein, 8 g fiber, 40 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
