Buttery Peas with Thyme
These buttery peas with thyme are tender, perfectly cooked, surrounded with simple flavors, and start to finish, they take about six minutes.
Since I’m already half-doctor (seriously, I am amazingly good at diagnosing my children with general attitude discomfort, infection of the ornery and other such syndromes, not to mention my insanely instinctual ability to know when they are about to throw up – but that’s definitely not a topic for this blog), I might as well play half-statistician and scientifically state that we eat peas as our dinner vegetable 67.2% of the time.
![White bowl full of cooked peas.](https://www.melskitchencafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/peas-FullViewLow-600x395.jpg)
In my effort to get a little creative with my side dishes, of course I had to start with the obvious and figure out a way to put a little zest into the ol’ pea.
Now I’ll admit that I usually cook my peas in the microwave in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap – nuking the little suckers for about five minutes. They are average at best.
We eat them. But there aren’t a lot of requests for seconds on the peas, please, know what I mean?
Take those microwaved peas and kick them up about 15 notches and you have this dish that resulted in everyone at our table asking for seconds.
Not a whole heck of a lot more work than throwing the peas in the microwave, these buttery peas are tender, perfectly cooked and surrounded with the simple flavors of garlic, thyme and onion.
And start to finish, they take about six minutes.
Definitely my new favorite way to cook this simple and sweet veggie.
Buttery Peas with Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 cups frozen peas
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 teaspoon fresh
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the onion, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook until the onion is softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in the peas and thyme and cook, stirring often, until the peas are just heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with black pepper (and additional salt if desired) and serve immediately.
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Recipe Source: adapted from The Best Skillet Recipes by Cook’s Illustrated
Delicious and super simple! I used shallots instead of onions, just because I had them. Also had fresh thyme. What flavor with so few ingredients! Will definitely be a go to.
I had two random open bags of frozen peas in the freezer, and this recipe is a great way to use them up and have a nice side dish. I think next time I would halve the amount of sugar, but that’s just my preference.
I added some stock, pureed half the results & have a delicious soup. Thank you.
Served these yesterday for Thanksgiving. Got a cry of delight from one guest 🙂 I like ordinary peas just fine, but this recipe takes them to a new level. Thanks.
Best recipe for peas ever! Melted the butter ahead of time and added rest of ingredients except peas (I used petite peas), as I don’t like to be away from guests any more than necessary. Then, all I had to do was add peas, and, voila- done! Rave reviews. Will make again.
Very good. Easy and tasty. I added some onion powder, more pepper and topped with parsley. Yum.
These peas are the bomb. Hated peas before this recipe. I’m glad I found it.
Perfect!! Just a couple days ago, I mentioned to my husband that I was tired of how I made peas.
These were great! I’ve been doing solids with my 8 month old and she ate these up.
These were amazing!!
I’ve even been using your recipes for years, I’ve yet to post anything because well, everything you post is SO good & everyone says it for me! Husband thinks I’m a gourmet chef thanks to you. And I’ve got to thank you for that!
So tonight I needed a side dish to compliment his request for a steak dinner. My options were very limited as I had only frozen peas. BUT I didn’t have any thyme. I did have herbs de Provence. Oh my! So buttery Peas with French herbs was born. And I’ll be making this way very regularly! Thank you Mel! Love your ideas & recipes!
I just figured this out on my own. I was wowed, and then, found your recipe. All I did was frozen peas 3/4 cooked per package and drained. Then dry thyme, fresh ground pepper, salt, and garlic and onion powders (1:3 ratio respectively), 2 Tbsp of butter and a splash of water. Simmer until reduced to a butter sauce. To be honest, it’s so good I’m going to try the fresh route next “thyme”…
Who knew peas could taste so good? We love this recipe! Many thanks.
This recipe is absolutely delicious! Simple, quick & tasty! I’m don’t like peas much (except fresh) but I’m sold on this one! Thank you!
Best damn peas I’ve had in a very very long time. Thanks so much !!!!!!
Ok, i just made these cause i saw them on your fabulous side dish meal planner! Thank you! What is your secret to soft peas? They got all shrively and hard 🙁
Bonnie – Sorry they didn’t turn out soft! I am not sure what went wrong. I use the Green Giant brand if that makes a difference.
Hello I just found your recipes,love them.!
Any suggestions on a different herb than thyme that would work well with the flavors?
I have tried and tried and tried again to tolerate thyme, but I just don’t like it. This may or may not have some sort of tie in to my propensity to be late to just about everything – including my own birth.
Thyme and I, well, we’re just not friends. And it doesn’t seem to matter how I try…
Jill – thanks for the smile! As for another herb – you might try oregano or even basil. To be honest, I think several herbs would go well with the peas.
I always think that peas and fresh mint are heavenly.
These were so good. I don’t know if I will be able to eat just plain old peas again. I loved all of the flavors. Thanks!
Thanks, Liz – so glad you liked this side!
Mary Karlee – I’m glad you liked this recipe! I actually have several side dishes up my sleeve to post soon so hopefully you’ll like them, too!
I made these last night and they were soooo good. I formerly would have said I don’t like peas, but now I am converted. Could you do more veggies or side dishes? I get in such a rut!
Perfection. Pure perfection.
These sound delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to cook veggies for my little one. Some times its all she’ll eat!
Yumm! Keep the veggie dishes coming. I need new ways to serve veggies at dinner, for the adults and the kiddos! I’ll be giving these peas a try.
Teresa – glad you liked the spiedie sandwiches!
Would fresh thyme work? I’ve got some leftover thyme in the fridge and have been wondering about what I’d do with it. I love green peas. I’ll have to try this. Thanks, Melanie!
I can tell it’s dinner time because my mouth is watering and both the peas and the ck spiedie sandwiches look/sound sooo yummy! Can’t wait to try them!
We never ate a lot of peas…except when we could get fresh ones and everyone loved popping them out of their pods.
Your recipe is a delight, a simple and delicious way to serve them. Going to try them this weekend.
i lurve peas. that pop of slightly sweet yet still savory goop is always welcome in my mouth, and i love your use of thyme.
so, shall i henceforth refer to you as melanie, md (mother divine)? 🙂
When ever I think of Peas I think if the video you sent Mom and Dad of walker eating a TON of peas.
p.s. These look totally yummy!
I don’t know how often (if ever) you are on tastebook, but they have 20% off right now until Tues.
I’m still working on mine. I have 85 recipes and didn’t want to get it printed until I had them all, but I guess that is the good thing about tastebook-you don’t have to have them all in there before you can order it! Love it. Also in December (I think that was when) they had a $50 gift card for $40. I jumped on that. So my cookbook is going to be a lot cheaper than I thought! Cool. Thanks again for the recommendation.
Now for another recommendation-do you know of any really good cooking type schools online. Not necessarily an actual school-but somewhere to learn not-so-super-basic kitchen tips, cooking, etc. ? I’ve seen a few but wanted to ask the pro.
Can’t wait to try this. Made the chicken spiedie sandwiches for lunch and they turned out perfect!
Teresa
hmmm, I hate peas… but I have to tell you that this recipe has given me some hope! I’ll have to try it!
If this works for my 12 year old, who has an aversion to ALL vegetables, I’m going to have to fly out there and kiss you!
We eat a ton of peas too! My favorite way to prepare them is with butter & Italian salad dressing mix (dry, not prepared). It’s so easy and amazingly delicious! Your recipe reminds me a lot of that, except it has natural ingredients and not a mix, which is always a plus. Except when you’re super lazy like me and would rather just pour on a seasoning packet. 🙂
that’s so funny, we end up eating a lot of peas at our house too, probably b/c all the kids like them and they are the easiest to prepare (quickly in the microwave, just like you). I would love to jazz them up a bit, but I am afraid our kids would probably not eat another pea if I tried to sneak little flavours in there. Gotta love 4 picky eaters in the household! love the recipe though, maybe hubby and i will eat some jazzed up peas one day 🙂