Mashed Peas are a quick and easy side dish that work with practically anything and everything. Using basic steps and simple ingredients we whip up this pea mash recipe. If you want to know how to make mushy peas with frozen peas you have hit the jackpot. Everything you need to know is below 😉👍.
Recipes like the Creamy Garlic Potatoes, Potato And Sweet Potato Bake, Potato Cubes and the Skin on Roast Potatoes are all about potato side dishes.
The Bacon Wrapped Asparagus, Roasted Capsicums and the Salmon Potato Salad are differing flavor profiles.
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🤍 Recipe Highlights
I have summarised everything that you will come to know and love (LOVE ❤) about the pea mash recipe in the points below:
- Simple ingredients: everything you need to make the recipe can easily be sought from your local grocery store. They are year round available ingredients which will be easy to get your hands on.
- Budget friendly: this cost effective side dish won't cost much more than the bag of frozen peas. Some of the rest of the ingredients are pantry staples that you might find you already have at home in the cupboard.
- Versatile: these smashed peas are a versatile side dish that work alongside almost anything and everything!
- Back to basics: the steps that we take to bring the recipe together are as simple as boiling some liquids on the stove, adding the peas, then adding some ingredients to season and mashing them. It is a very simple side dish that works!
- Taste and texture: roast potato side dishes are known and loved by all. But it can be nice to switch it up a bit and offer a different type of side every now and then. These mushy peas provide a flavorsome mash textured recipe which is well rounded and balanced.
🥗 Ingredients
The photo below is to show you everything you need to make the mash peas recipe. Please refer to the printable recipe card for specific ingredient measurements as well as detailed instructions.
As you can see the recipe calls for:
- Salt: we use salt to season the pea mash. A little bit of it is enough to go a long way.
- Pepper: along with the salt, the black pepper is used to season the mushy peas.
- Yogurt: this creamy thick Greek yogurt helps gives the mash a little creamy texture. You can adjust the amount added to get your perfect texture of mash.
- Dried onion: this is dried onion flakes that you will be able to get from the herbs and spices section of the supermarket.
- Garlic: chunky minced garlic is best as it is blends well with the hot temperature of the peas meaning it doesn't have to be fried the same way we do for some fresh garlic cloves recipes.
- Water: this is room temperature tap water. We add it to the chicken stock to combine the liquids that we use to boil the peas in.
- Vegetable stock: using this to boil the peas in means that the mash will have more flavor than if we simply boiled them in water. We bring it to the boil and then add the peas.
- Mint: fresh, herby and zesty this aromatic herb brings a lovely complimentary flavor to the peas.
- Peas: arguably the most popular vegetable sold in supermarkets. Only behind 'frozen potato chips'. These are, quite literally the star of the show!
Tasty Tip: I like to provide you with a number of substitutions and variations giving you an array of options when making the recipe. If in doubt of any of the above ingredients, or wanting alternatives, read this section (further below) before jumping into the instructions on how to make the recipe which are coming next 😉👌.
🍳 Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions to make the recipe. We start by adding the liquids to the saucepan.
- Add the vegetable stock (Photo 1)
- Then add the water (Photo 2)
- Add the frozen peas (Photo 3)
- Add the mint leaves (Photo 4)
👩🍳 How to Make Mashed Peas
To make the mashed peas recipe we start by adding the liquids to the sauce pan. To do so place a large saucepan or Dutch oven onto the stove top, turn the heat to high then add the vegetable stock, followed by the water.
Once done, allow these liquids to come to the boil. When they are boiling, carefully pour the frozen peas into the saucepan. Then add the mint leaves.
- Boil then drain peas (Photo 5)
- Add the salt (Photo 6)
- Add the pepper (Photo 7)
- Then add the garlic (Photo 8)
Once the peas come back to the boil, you can turn the heat off and use a colander over the sink to drain them.
Now we begin to season the smashed peas. Start by adding the salt, then pepper, then garlic and dried onion.
- Add the dried onion (Photo 9)
- Then mash the peas (Photo 10)
- Add yogurt (Photo 11)
- Stir to combine (Photo 12)
Once the onion is in the mix use a stick blender to mash the peas until their texture is like mashed potatoes. Then dollop in the yogurt and gently stir this in to combine.
🍽 Serving Suggestions
In all practically, you would never want simply a bowl of smashed peas on their own 😂! (Cause too many peassssssssssss!) You need to pair them with something to allow their brilliance to shine through.
Some serving suggestions are to serve them with the BBQ Lamb Ribs, Italian Short Ribs, Slow Cooker Lamb Ribs or the Slow Cooker Pulled Lamb.
More pairings ideas that will work are with the Greek Lamb Chops, Greek Lamb Shanks or dolloped on the Party Pies.
They can be piled into a bowl and presented with a spoon so the eaters can get their dollop of peas onto their plate in their preferred style.
If however, you have never tried the true delight that is a meat pie with a pile of smashed peas on top then now is your opportunity.
There is something so simple yet delightfully delicious about the combination and it is one that you will want to try over and over again.
👍 How to Guide
How to Store
Store leftover mashed peas in a bowl with plastic wrap or in a sealed, airtight container. They can be kept for 2-3 days and are best reheated before being consumed.
How to Freeze
Allow the mashed peas to fully cool. Once they have portion them into either plastic zip lock bags, push to remove the air and seal or airtight containers. They can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
Place the mashed peas into a bowl with cling wrap on top. Microwave on high in 1 minute increments until they are heated through.
😉 Substitutions and Variations
Here are my sub ins and outs that you might be thinking about as you read the post and I will tell you if I think they will work or why they won't:
- You can use chicken stock in place of the vegetable stock if you wish too (equivalent amount).
- You can omit the mint if you are not a fan of its flavor.
💡 Tasty Tips
Here are my top tips and tricks that I want to share with you so that you master this recipe for mashed peas from the get go:
- There is no need to defrost the peas as a starting point. They get simply added to the liquids on the stove top straight from the freezer.
- A hand held stick blender is the easiest appliance to use to mash the peas.
- Regarding the point above, but it can scratch the surface of some types of saucepans eg cast iron. So be a little bit gentle when using it to avoid scratching your pan.
- Serve the mashed peas on cooked salmon or toast for alternative ideas.
🤓 Frequently Asked Questions
How do you eat mashed peas?
Mashed peas are commonly eaten with fish and chips (especially in the Uk), piled on top of a meat pie or served in a bowl as a side dish for mains like roast turkey or ham.
What is mushy peas made of?
Mushy peas are made of peas that have been boiled in vegetable stock, seasoned, then mashed with yogurt for a creamy texture.
What is another name for mushy peas?
Yorkshire caviar is another name for mushy peas as is smashed peas or mashed peas.
What is the difference between peas and mushy peas?
Peas are the vegetable as is, round peas. Mushy peas are peas that have been combined with other ingredients like garlic and onion and then blended to create potato like mashed peas.
😍 More Easy Sides Dishes
Sides can more more exciting than the main event if you have some handy recipes that deliver with taste and texture up their sleeve. I think you will enjoy the following recipes too:
- Potato And Sweet Potato Bake
- Garlic Butter Potatoes
- Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
- Skin on Roast Potatoes
- Turkish Garlic Bread
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Duck Fat Roast Potatoes
- Tortilla Garlic Bread
It is time to get our peas on my friend. You can also find all of my side dishes in the one spot.
Adrianne
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📖 Recipe
Mashed Peas
Ingredients
- 1 litre/32 oz vegetable stock
- 1 cup/250 ml cup water Note 1
- 1 kg/2.2 pounds frozen peas
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic Note 2
- 1 tablespoon dried onion
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 4 tablespoon greek yoghurt
Instructions
- Liquids: place a large Dutch oven onto the stove top and turn the heat to high. Then pour in the vegetable stock and water and bring to the boil .
- Peas: next add the frozen peas and mint to the boiling liquids. Note 3
- Drain: once the water returns to the boil, remove from the heat and use a colander over the sink to drain. Note 4
- Season: next place the peas back into the pot, add the garlic, dried onion, salt, pepper and use a hand held stick blender to mash. Note 5
- Yogurt: add the greek yoghurt in 1 tablespoon at a time until desired thickness of mash is achieved Note 6
- To serve: use a spatula to transfer the mashed peas to a serving bowl and provide a spoon for portioning.
Notes
- Note 1 - Water: normal tap water is fine for this, it is because you need just that bit extra liquid to boil your peas than the 1 litre and this helps level out the flavour and volume of your vegetable stock.
- Note 2 - Measurements: An Australian tablespoon measure is 20ml, this is slightly more than an American one (which measures 15ml). It is the Australian tablespoon used for the recipe measurements.
- Note 3 Peas into liquids: slowly add your peas in so the boiling water doesn't splash out and scold you. When you have added them the water will be warm by have lost the bubbles. All you need to do is keep it at the same temperature and let it return to the boil. As soon as it does, turn the heat off and they are done. You are also adding the mint at this step. The mint gets added and stays in with the peas and mashed to combine. You can omit the mint altogether if you don't enjoy the flavor it it.
- Note 4 Reserve some water: you can keep some of this water that the peas cooked in so that if you like your peas wet mushy instead of chunky mushy you can add a bit of this to achieve that. The greek yoghurt helps them be chunky smooth tasting, the little extra leftover water will make them be salty mushy.
- Note 5 Stick blender: if using a stick blender be careful in the pot as it will scratch the surfaces. If you don't have a hand held or normal blender, you can use a potato masher and then stir the yoghurt through at the end, it will take a bit longer, but still work fine. So don't run out and get one for just this recipe if you don't have one.
- Note 6 Greek yogurt: I recommend 4 tablespoons for a great thick scoopable mash texture.
Nutrition
Recipe published in December 2019, updated in October 2023 with a rewrite to be clearer about when the mint is added (reader feedback) and to offer more tasty tips for you 😉👌. Original recipe and images.
Sam Huntley says
Thanks for the recipe. We made this on the weekend and enjoyed it very much.
Adrianne says
That is great to hear Sam, you are welcome!
Sian Carter says
Lovely to go with our roast pork.
Adrianne says
Thanks Sian for your feedback.