Coconut Free Buttered Pearl Onions and Peas
This simple, buttery side dish is the kind of thing that makes a weeknight dinner feel a little more special without adding any real effort to your evening. The pearl onions get a slow simmer until tender, then the heat cranks up just enough to coax out a light golden glaze before the peas join the party — bright, sweet, and perfectly cooked. Fresh thyme ties everything together with an herby note that feels almost fancy for how little work it takes. Many store-bought vegetable sides and seasoning blends sneak in coconut-derived oils or emulsifiers, so cooking from scratch with straightforward ingredients like butter, water, and fresh herbs is genuinely the cleanest route. Every ingredient here is exactly what it says it is — no hidden oils, no unexpected additives. It's a beautiful, crowd-pleasing side that pairs with just about any protein on the table and comes together in under twenty minutes once your onions are prepped.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 lb fresh or frozen pearl onions
- 2 cups fresh or frozen peas
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup water
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
If using fresh pearl onions, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Score a shallow X on the root end of each onion, then blanch for 1 minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Pinch each onion at the stem end to slip off the skin. If using frozen pearl onions, skip this step — they are already peeled.
- 2
In a large skillet, combine the peeled pearl onions, ½ cup water, 1 tbsp of the butter, and the salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then cover and cook until the onions are just tender when pierced with a knife, about 8–10 minutes.
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