A thick, hearty Beef and Pea Stew made easy with a short list of simple ingredients. This comforting Romanian stew is perfect for those chilly fall or winter evenings.
We’ve finally come to my favorite food growing up. Pea stew! My mom would make this probably at least once a week and it was my favorite food ever! I remember my sister used to hate it, because she hated peas, and I was more than happy to eat her serving too, because I just loved the sweetness of the peas, still do!
Tender beef, loads of peas, and simple spices meld together to create one hearty, totally delicious, true comfort food dish. This is one of the easiest, most flavorful stews I’ve ever made and best of all, it takes under an hour to throw together! This stew is perfect with chicken, beef or pork!
This is a perfect recipe for the chillier seasons, there’s just something about curling up on the couch with a bowl of flavor packed, comforting beef stew that feels right. This beef and pea stew is a special recipe I grew up with and I know you will love it just as much as I have over the years!
Don’t stew on it
This is a Romanian dish that is a staple in our house, though I think it’s another one of those dishes popular in Eastern Europe. I learned how to make this from my mother, and it’s probably one of the first dishes I made when I moved out on my own. Besides being near and dear to my heart, it’s one of my favorite dishes because I LOVE peas – and this stew is full of them! They’re nice and sweet and just all around delicious. As a bonus, this dish is very easy to make. Don’t stew on it, just make it already.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Vegetable Oil – Substitute with olive oil, sunflower, safflower or avocado oil.
- Onion – Medium, finely chopped.
- Beef – I used beef chuck roast cut into pieces but you can use stewing beef also. This stew is also great with chicken or pork.
- Celery – A couple stalks for lots of flavor.
- Tomato Paste – This is added to add richness and body to the stew.
- Peas – My mom always used to make this with canned peas but canned or frozen will work.
- Dill – This is my 2nd favorite ingredient in this dish, because if you’ve never tried it, peas and dill go great together, like peanut butter and jelly. Trust me!
- Paprika – I used sweet paprika, but you can use smoked paprika as well for a little smoky flavor.
- Salt & Pepper – To taste.
- Water – My mom never uses broths in stews or soups, so if you want you could substitute water with beef, chicken or vegetable broth.
How to make beef and pea stew
- Cook Vegetables: Heat up the oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add Ingredients: Add the beef and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the beef is no longer pink on the outside. In a bowl mix tomato paste with water and add to pan. Season with paprika, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peas and cook for another 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Finish & Serve: Stir in the dill, leaving about 1 tbsp for garnish. Garnish with remaining dill and serve.
What type of beef should I use?
I used beef chuck roast because I find it’s great in stews, preferably one that’s marbled a bit. Stewing beef is also a great option, hence the name. You can typically find stewing beef in your local grocery store already cut into cubes. Other optimal options would be:
- Top Round
- Rump Roast
- Chuck Shoulder
- Eye Round Roast
Additions
Stews are one of my favorite meals to make because they are so versatile! It’s a perfect recipe to use up any forgotten items in your pantry or fridge, so feel free to add any ingredients you find fit!
Vegetables
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Potatoes
- Green Onion
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
Protein
- Lamb
- Pork
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Tofu
*Note: Keep in mind that using other proteins may affect the cooking time of your stew.
Serving your stew
If I were you, I’d serve this beef and peas stew with a nice chunk of crusty bread or dinner roll to make sure you sop up every last drop of this delicious dinner.
Leftovers
Store leftover beef and pea stew in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing
If you want to save this delicious stew for a later date, you can freeze it for up to 6 months! After the stew has cooled, transfer it to airtight containers or resealable freezer bags and pop them in the freezer.
Reheating
Allow the stew to thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat over the stove or in the microwave until heated through.
Did you like this recipe? Check these out!
- Oxtail Stew
- Instant Pot Beef Stew
- Beef Lentil Soup
- Irish Lamb Stew
- Easy Hamburger Soup
- Mexican Pork Stew
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Beef Tips with Gravy
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Beef and Pea Stew
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 pound beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch pieces, or stewing beef
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon paprika or smoked paprika
- salt and pepper to taste
- 28 ounce frozen peas or canned peas (2 14 fl oz cans)
- 1/4 cup fresh dill chopped
Instructions
- Cook Vegetables: Heat up the oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped onion and celery and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Add Ingredients: Add the beef and continue cooking for another 5 minutes until the beef is no longer pink on the outside. In a bowl mix tomato paste with water and add to pan. Season with paprika, salt, pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook for 30 minutes or until the beef is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in the peas and cook for another 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
- Finish & Serve: Stir in the dill, leaving about 1 tbsp for garnish. Garnish with remaining dill and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftover beef and pea stew in airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- You can also freeze it for up to 6 months! After the stew has cooled, transfer it to airtight containers or resealable freezer bags and pop them in the freezer.
What can I substitute for celery?
The husband hates it!
You can use some chopped green bell pepper instead. 🙂
If using pork which cut do you recommend for this dish ? Thanks!
I usually use tenderloin or loin.
If using pork, how long do you need to cook for ?
Pork cooks faster so I’d say 15 min is more than enough instead of the 30 min for beef.
This recipe was really good and even my picky 9 year old loved it! I was worried because of the combination of seasonings. It’s just not a normal combination for me. My only complaint is the meat was tough. I think cooking it in a crockpot would keep the meat tender. How would you suggest I cook this in a crockpot?
I would cook the veggies first and brown the meat then add everything (except the peas) to a slow cooker and cook for the normal 6-8 hours on low or 4 hours on high, then in the last half hour add the peas.
I don’t fresh herbs at home…can I sub with dried or frozen ?
Absolutely!
Hi I’m kind of new at cooking. So if im using frozen peas, what should the quantity be?
You’d need about 3 1/2 cups of frozen peas. 🙂
The ingredients list says tomato sauce but the instructions say tomato paste. Which should it be? I’m thinking paste but just want to be sure.
It’s tomato paste, fixed. 🙂