MSG Free Buttered Pearl Onions and Peas
Few side dishes are as quietly satisfying as sweet pearl onions and bright green peas finished with butter and fresh herbs. The onions get a gentle simmer until tender, then the heat cranks up just enough to coax out a light golden glaze — that little caramelized edge makes all the difference. Real thyme and fresh parsley do the heavy lifting on flavor here, which means there's zero need for seasoning packets, bouillon, or any of the processed shortcuts that often sneak unwanted additives onto your plate. Every ingredient in this dish is exactly what it says it is: vegetables, butter, salt, and herbs. That kind of clean simplicity is genuinely hard to find in a recipe that still tastes this good. It works beautifully alongside a roast, a holiday spread, or honestly just a quiet weeknight dinner when you want something a little more special than the usual.
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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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