Pea puree made with the Thermomix® is ready in 15 minutes and gives 4 servings. Here is how to get it right every time: cook 500 g frozen peas with 200 g vegetable stock for 8 min / 100°C / speed 1, then add 10 mint leaves and blend for 20 sec / speed 8. Before that, chop 1 garlic clove and 1 shallot for 5 sec / speed 5 and sweat them in 40 g butter for 3 min / Varoma / speed 2. This is the British mushy peas approach, with real butter and stock instead of plain water.
We serve this side dish with lamb chops, pan-fried fish and pork medallions. It comes together faster than mashed potato because the Thermomix® chops the shallot and garlic, sweats them in the butter and then blends everything in the same bowl at the end. One appliance, no extra hand blender and no second pot. If you want to prepare the meat in the same machine, you will find the settings in our guide to searing with the Thermomix®.
Pea Puree with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 6 ✓
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 shallot
- 40 g butter
- 500 g peas
- 200 g vegetable stock
- 10 mint leaves
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Chop the garlic and shallot.
Peel the garlic clove and shallot. Halve the shallot. Add both to the mixing bowl and chop for 5 sec / speed 5.
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2
Sweat in butter.
Add the butter and sweat for 3 min / Varoma / speed 2.
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3
Cook the peas.
Add the peas and stock and cook for 8 min / 100°C / speed 1.
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4
Blend.
Add the mint and blend for 20 sec / speed 8.
Tip: This puree is a great way to use up leftovers. Got any spare vegetables in the fridge? Add them to your pea puree. Simply adjust the cooking time and, if needed, the amount of liquid.
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Nutrition per serving
Why butter and stock make a better pea puree than water
Some popular Thermomix® recipes use 400 g peas with margarine and plain water, while the Cookidoo classic skips a buttery base entirely. We take a different approach: 40 g of real butter and 200 g of vegetable stock instead of water give the 500 g of frozen peas a savoury depth that water alone can never achieve. The butter draws the flavour out of the garlic and shallot during sweating (3 min / Varoma / speed 2), and the stock seasons from within rather than just on top.
The second point is texture. In the Thermomix® you control exactly how smooth the puree is by choosing the speed: 20 sec / speed 8 gives our standard creamy, smooth version. If you prefer it chunkier, in the classic British style, try 10 sec / speed 5 with reverse direction so the peas are not completely broken down. For a very fine puree, such as baby food, go for 30 sec / speed 9. A hand blender cannot hit these three stages as cleanly.
The mint is not just a garnish. 10 leaves blended in at the end for 20 sec / speed 8 bring exactly the freshness that a plain butter-and-pea puree often lacks. This is the British approach, think mushy peas with fish and chips. Frozen peas are no compromise here: they are blast-frozen right after harvest and are often sweeter than so-called fresh peas at the supermarket, which may have been in transit for days.
Three common mistakes that cost you colour and flavour
The puree turns grey instead of green
Peas lose their bright green colour when they are exposed to heat for too long. 8 min / 100°C / speed 1 is plenty to cook through 500 g of peas. Going to 15 minutes will give you a dull olive green.
Our fix: Stick to 8 minutes and blend straight away while the puree is still hot. A squeeze of lemon juice when blending locks in the colour and adds a light acidity.
The puree is too runny
Frozen peas release water as they thaw, and using the full 200 g of stock can result in a puree that is too thin. This is especially likely if the peas go into the mixing bowl without draining.
Our fix: Start with 150 g of stock and check after blending. Too thick? Add more stock in 20 g increments and stir for 5 sec / speed 4. Too thin? Cook uncovered for 1 min / Varoma / speed 1 to reduce.
The seasoning does not come through
Peas need more salt than you might expect because their natural sweetness absorbs the seasoning. Seasoning only at the end gives a flat puree.
Our fix: The vegetable stock already seasons from within. After blending, taste again and adjust with salt and freshly ground pepper. A pinch of sugar lifts the natural sweetness of the peas, and a pinch of nutmeg rounds it all off.
Four variations from classic to Indian-spiced
Pea and potato puree: Cook 250 g of floury potatoes, diced, together with the peas for 8 min / 100°C / speed 1. This makes the puree more filling and velvety, ideal as a substantial side dish.
Pea and avocado, vegan: Replace the butter with 25 g of olive oil and add 1 ripe avocado when blending. The result is extra creamy and completely dairy-free.
Mediterranean: Replace the mint with a handful of basil, add the zest and juice of half a lemon and a splash of good olive oil. Goes well with grilled fish and lamb.
Indian-spiced: Sweat 1 tsp curry powder in the butter and replace 50 g of the stock with coconut milk. This gives a warmer, more aromatic puree that works well with rice and chicken.
Which main courses pair well with this pea puree
Classically British, the puree belongs with fish and chips, but it is just as good as a bed for pan-fried fish or as a side with lamb chops, steak and pork medallions. Spread on toasted bread with a little creme fraiche it makes a quick starter, and in a wrap with chicken it works as a fresh sauce.
If you are looking for a warm partner: our mashed potato with the Thermomix® and a delicate salmon from the Varoma make a complete plate alongside this pea puree. For more ideas, have a look at our Thermomix® side dishes collection.
How long the pea puree keeps
Stored in a sealed jar, the puree keeps for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. To reheat, warm it in a saucepan with a splash of stock, stirring to bring it back to a creamy consistency. Straight from the fridge it will seem firmer because the butter has set.
Freezing works well: portion into small amounts, for example in an ice cube tray, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently. This portioning is also handy if you are using the puree as baby food and only need small amounts at a time.
