Arakas – Greek sweet peas is a traditional Greek dish so easy & fresh. In Greece, arakas is the main course but can be an awesome side dish to grilled steak, chicken, or fish.
Arakas – Greek sweet peas are part of a unique Greek gastronomic category, called “ladera”, meaning vegetables cooked in a simple way with olive oil. Long before the veganism movement was born, Greek cuisine used wholesome olive oil which depending on its recipes and subcategories, is vegan and vegetarian.
This is my mother’s sweet peas recipe, and it is very satisfying and healthy. Fuss-free, you literally throw everything in a pot, and half an hour later, a delicious meal emerges.
You need very few ingredients.
All you need is a 2 lb bag of frozen sweet peas, 5-6 scallions, lots of fresh dill, and extra virgin olive oil. A couple of veggie bouillon cubes (always palm oil-free) or broth, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and that’s it. This recipe yields about six servings if you serve araka as a main dish and 8-10 if it is a side dish.
How to make araka
This is a very simple & easy sweet peas recipe.
How to enjoy araka
- Arakas is usually served as a main dish with a salad, feta or graviera cheese, and crusty bread. However, it can be a delicious side to any roast or grilled protein. Enjoy the peas warm right out of the pot or at room temperature.
- It makes great leftovers; I usually make the whole 2 lb bag of sweet peas for the two of us and enjoy the leftovers the next few days. A bowl of araka with some pita and a piece of cheese is all I need for a healthy and satisfying lunch. We might prepare some chicken, a salad, and a side of the lovely sweet peas for dinner.
- Add some fresh lemon juice on top for a bright note.
- Alternatively, you can cook araka with 2 cups of grated tomatoes, two or three potatoes quartered and a couple of carrots sliced in large coins. Turn the tomato version into a stew by adding bite-size pieces of tender chicken.
- This roasted cauliflower is a great side dish and really easy to make.
- These zucchini & feta fritters are my favorite summer appetizer.
Check out my Greek pantry staples
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Arakas – Greek Sweet Peas
Equipment
- stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 lb bag frozen sweet peas
- 6 scallions chopped
- 1 bunch fresh dill chopped
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups water
- 2 organic veggie bouillon cubes palm oil-free bouillon cubes
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat ⅓ cup olive oil. Add the chopped scallions and sauté for a minute.
- Add the peas, the water, the bouillons and the dill. Stir well. Bring to a boil than reduce heat and simmer for 30 min or until peas are soft but still hold their round shape.
- Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve.
Notes
- Instead of 2 bouillon cubes + 2 cups of water, you can use 2 cups of veggie broth.
- Serve arakas on its own with good bread and cheese like gruyere or feta or a side dish to grilled steak, chicken, or fish.
- You can add two carrots chopped in 1/2 inch coins and two, three potatoes cut in large cubes to this dish for a variation on this recipe. Don’t stir the ingredients all together while they cook not to let the potatoes fall apart; shake the pot once and a while to move things around.
Nutrition
What a great recipe for garden fresh peas and dill too. The perfect side dish all summer long. I know my family would love this. Great for bbq parties too.
Thank you so much, Gloria!
I love all the flavours in this dish. Right now the fresh garden peas are at their best so I think I would like to make this dish with fresh peas. Is it really necessary to boil them for 30 minutes? That seems like a lot, even for the frozen peas you use for this recipe.
Hi Bernice!
Fresh peas will even be better. I don’t boil them for 30 minutes; I bring them to a boil, then reduce them to low and simmer until they are done. I haven’t tried fresh peas, so try them at the 15-minute mark and see how long they might need. Thanks so much! x jenny
What a delicious way to spruce up peas! I loves peas and dill – can’t wait to make these!
This is such a lovely side dish. Easy, simple, and so good. I love it with baked chicken or sausages.
Thank you so much Sharon!
Sounds healthy and a perfect vegan side. Easy and quick to make too.
Thank you so much Veena!
I have never mixed peas & dill together, but I love this idea! I even have fresh dill in my garden!
Hope you like them! Thank you so much Liz!
I love this recipe! It’s easy, delicious, and healthy. Perfect for our family dinner. Thanks!
We love peas but we’d never had them with dill. Made them last evening to go along with our Mediterranean grilled chicken. The sweet peas were a perfect vegetable side with the chicken. This recipe is certainly a keeper. Even non-vegetable eating guests loved them.
I love having peas in my dishes! these particular ones sound super flavourful and delicious and I will definitely be giving these a try soon. Thank you for sharing this recipe, I cant wait to make these!
This is my new favorite way to eat sweet peas! It is so easy to make and so flavorful!
The combo of peas and dill was amazing! These peas are super light and fresh.
Made this before and loved it! Making it again today as a side with our Christmas prime rib, but at the grocery store for I for some reason misremembered and bought leeks instead of scallions – hoping they work well as a substitution!
That’s great, Zach! I am sure the leeks worked amazing! Thanks so much, x Jenny