Gluten Free Buttered Pearl Onions and Peas
Sweet, buttery, and impossibly simple, this side dish is the kind of thing that makes a weeknight dinner feel a little more special. 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 green, fresh, and barely needing any time at all. Fresh thyme and a finishing scatter of parsley round everything out with an herby lift that keeps it from feeling heavy. The whole thing comes together in one skillet with just butter, water, and a handful of real ingredients, which means there's nothing hidden to worry about — no flour, no thickeners, no mystery additives that can sneak into store-bought vegetable sides. It's naturally free of gluten without any swaps or substitutions, just honest produce and good butter doing their thing. This is the kind of side that pairs beautifully with roasted chicken, a holiday spread, or honestly just a quiet dinner where you want something that tastes like it took more effort than it did.
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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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