A true legume, peas are a very popular, extremely common vegetable choice that is easily incorporated into any savoury dish. They are available to buy fresh, frozen or canned and can be used as the base of dishes or on their own as a side.
The peas themselves are actually seeds. They grow in long, green pods that are usually very thin. Pickers simply pop the seeds out when they are ready to harvest (usually in April and November).
Peas may be common, but they are not often thought about in cooking. It is one of those foods that you think you will always have a supply of, and forget to buy more if you run out. So what can you use instead if this happens?
Our 4 Substitutes for Peas
It is the sweet, refreshing taste that has people loving peas. Even when they are frozen, they hold their flavour very well.
Here are our top 4 substitutes for peas:
1) Butter Beans
Due to being beans and not legumes, butter beans will have a slight bean flavour to them, but they are also sweet like peas.
When raw, this sweetness is paired with slightly nutty undertones, making them a great addition to a salad. They also carry more protein than peas, so they are especially good when you are trying to increase your protein intake.
However, when cooked, butter beans do tend to become a little more bitter. They are still sweet but that sweetness is balanced out with bitter tones.
They’re NOT Toxic
Many people think that butter beans are toxic because they come from a plant that is a natural cyanide producer. But the beans themselves are very delicious and not toxic.
2) Black Eye Peas
Though they are a legume like peas, black eye peas do have a slight beany taste to them. This makes them have a more earthy undertone than sweet.
Despite this, black eye peas are still sweet enough to add to savoury dishes when they are too rich or bitter. They particularly pair well with red meats and other vegetables like peas do.
As for their texture, they are very similar, if not identical, to peas. Firm and on the denser side, black eye peas will soften when cooked.
Add Sweetness
If you find the mild sweet notes of black eye peas to be lacking, then you can add a little honey or brown sugar to them to really highlight that sweetness in your dish.
3) Fresh Borlotti Beans
Though you can buy canned borlotti beans, they carry a lot more flavour when they are fresh and will therefore make a better pea substitute.
The biggest and most obvious difference between peas and borlotti beans is their colour. Peas are a lively green colour, while borlotti beans are milky white with splotches of red or pink. They will certainly make your dish look more fun.
You can pair borlotti beans with a range of meats and vegetables, but they do have a more delicate flavour.
The Perfect Buttery Base
Fresh borlotti beans are a lot creamier than peas when they are blended up or used in soups. If your dish requires a buttery base, then you won’t need to add as much butter when using fresh borlotti beans.
4) Edamame Beans
Edamame beans look like peas when growing in their green pods, but they are a lot bigger. Their pods are not at all edible, unlike sugar snap peas, for example.
You can buy edamame beans still in their pods or separated.
When you do buy edamame beans, they may be marked as soybeans. This is because they are soybeans that are harvested before they fully mature so they have sweeter notes to them – like peas!
Still, they are mature enough to have developed a load of healthy vitamins and fibres. So they are a great healthy substitute for peas.
Cook Edamame for Longer
Due to their extra fibres, you will find that edamame beans take longer to cook than peas, so make sure you leave enough time in your cooking process to cook them properly.
Other Substitutes for Peas
Because peas are such a widely used ingredient, people all over the world have come up with a range of substitutes that are just as assessable. So if you do not have any of the above, here are some more:
- Green Beans – When in season, green beans are crunch with earthy notes but can be easily adapted to a pea recipe.
- Broad Beans – Once their tough outer skin has been removed, they can be just as delicious as peas. They won’t offer the same level of sweetness, however.
Summary
Peas are a well used, widely loved sweet vegetable. But when you run out of those back-of-the-freezer frozen peas and need a substitute, butter beans will give the same sweetness and texture when eaten raw.