• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Laura Fuentes
  • Healthy Eating
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • About
  • #MOMLIFE
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
×

Easy Peas and Carrots with Potatoes

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

Don’t want to turn on the oven to make a terrific side dish? Tired of bland microwaved veggies? This post shows you how to turn ordinary veggies like potatoes, peas, and carrots into a delicious and cozy side dish.

This simple recipe is cooked on the stove-top and makes an awesome side dish for entertaining or weeknight dinners.

large serving dish of carrots, peas and potatoes

Flavorful Peas & Carrots Recipe

This recipe goes outside the usual steaming that often yields bland vegetables to cooking them in a little butter and olive oil, then tosses everything with fresh lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, and herbs for superb flavor. 

Outside of roasting vegetables, sauteeing them in a pan or dutch oven is the best way to cook vegetables everyone will want to eat. After all, making food taste great is one of the basic things we can do to turn skeptics into veggie lovers. 

This recipe includes hearty potatoes and carrots with fresh green peas and herbs that I often think that it could be a meal all by itself.

Ingredients

This side dish is made with a handful of fresh and pantry staples. We’re talking the basics like frozen peas, carrots, and potatoes. Here’s everything you’ll need: 

  • lemon: both the lemon zest and juice add bright, zippy flavor.
  • balsamic vinegar: for a little zing. 
  • maple syrup: to balance out the lemon juice and vinegar.
  • butter and olive oil: to cook the veggies, plus butter makes everything better. 
  • carrots: either whole fresh carrots or a bag of baby carrots do the trick! 
  • salt: for seasoning. 
  • fingerling potatoes: these are smaller, tender potatoes but you can use any potato cut into 1-inch cubes. 
  • chicken broth: storebought or homemade chicken broth works. You can even make this with plain ole water! 
  • garlic and fresh tarragon: the aromatics for this recipe. If you don’t have fresh tarragon, use ½ teaspoon dried tarragon, oregano, or marjoram. 
  • green peas: fresh or frozen green peas add a pop of color and fresh flavor. 
  • baby spinach: extra greens, but you can leave them out if your kids aren’t fans. 
large pot of carrots, peas and potatoes

How to Cook Peas & Carrots with Potatoes

Here’s how to make the best-ever peas and carrots side dish: 

  1. Prep the veggies
    Give the potatoes and carrots a good rinse under running water. Drain well, then peel the carrots, if using whole carrots, and half the potatoes lengthwise.
  2. Make the sauce
    In a medium bowl, whisk vinegar, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of water with the zest and juice of 1 lemon.
  3. Cook the carrots
    In a large Dutch oven, cook the carrots in butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Season with salt and cook until golden brown. 
  4. Brown the potatoes
    Transfer the carrots to a large plate and heat the remaining butter in the Dutch oven. Add the potatoes, season with salt, and cook until the potatoes are golden brown on the bottom. 
    Add the broth and bring it to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering.
  5. Stir in the rest of the veggies
    Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add the carrots, peas, spinach, and lemon juice mixture. Stir gently until the spinach is wilted. 
  6. Add a little butter
    Remove the pot from the heat, add a dab of butter, and stir in the tarragon. 
  7. Time to eat
    Grab a fork and plate, serve yourself some veggies, and enjoy! 

If you want to fit this into a meal plan, you could make my Chicken Stew one night then this recipe another with the unused peas, carrots, and potatoes. Two different meals with the same ingredients. 

Perfecting this Simple Side Dish

Here are a few tips to ensure this delicious veggie dish turns out perfect each time: 

Use a large pot
I recommend using a heavy-bottomed pot, such as a Dutch oven or deep-rimmed skillet. You want to cook the carrots and potatoes in an even layer to avoid steaming them, which will take away the browning flavors. 

overhead view of serving platter of carrots, peas and potatoes

Cook until fork tender
We want the potatoes and carrots to be tender but not mushy. Cook them until the skin is golden, seared, and you can easily insert a fork in the center of the veggie without mashing it. 
Don’t skip the herbs

Fresh herbs really amp the flavor, and if you don’t have fresh tarragon, you can replace it with fresh basil or the dried herbs mentioned in the recipe card. 

If you do use dried herbs, add them when cooking the carrots. The oils and flavor in dried herbs need more time in the cooking heat to be fully extracted. 

closeup view of carrots peas and potatoes

What to Serve with Peas & Carrots

Peas and carrots pair great with simple entreés like pan-seared chicken, baked fish, pork roast, or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store if you want to make dinner even easier.  

I have to admit, something about the combination of potatoes, peas, and carrots begs to be served with chicken, and I’ve got a ton of delicious chicken recipes in this ebook like:

  • Melt in Your Mouth Chicken
  • Honey Chicken Drumsticks
  • How to Roast a Chicken
Print

Carrot, Fingerling Potato, and Pea Ragout Recipe

large dish of carrots peas and potaotes
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Turn ordinary veggies like potatoes, peas, and carrots into a delicious and cozy side dish without turning on the oven.

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 ½ pounds large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch-long, ½ inch thick sticks
  • 1 ½ teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces small fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 cup chicken broth, stock, or water
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ¾ cup fresh peas, blanched, or frozen peas
  • 1 cup (packed) fresh baby spinach leaves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon*

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon zest, juice, vinegar, maple syrup, and water until combined. 
  2. In a 5 to 6-quart Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil over low heat. Add the carrots and season with ¾ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the carrots are browned and tender, about 20 minutes. 
  3. Transfer the carrots to a large plate. 
  4. Heat an additional tablespoon of butter in the Dutch oven, arrange the potatoes, cut side down in a single layer, and season with ¾ teaspoon salt. 
  5. Cover partially and cook, undisturbed, until the potatoes are golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken broth or water and bring to a boil before reducing the heat and simmering until the cooking liquid is reduced.
  6. Add the chopped garlic, carrots, green peas, spinach, and lemon juice mixture to the potatoes. Stir to combine and continue to cook until the spinach wilts. 
  7. Remove from heat and stir in ½ tablespoons butter and fresh tarragon. 

Equipment

thanksgiving menu in ipad

Full Thanksgiving Meal Plan

Buy Now →
chicken ebook displayed on an ipad and phone screen

Chicken. It’s What’s for Dinner

Buy Now →

Notes

don’t have fresh tarragon? Substitute it with 1 teaspoon dried tarragon,  2 teaspoons of chopped fresh rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, dried basil, or herbs de provance.

 

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ½ cup
  • Calories: 217
  • Sugar: 7.7 g
  • Sodium: 698.7 mg
  • Fat: 12.1 g
  • Saturated Fat: 5 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25.4 g
  • Fiber: 5.3 g
  • Protein: 4.2 g
  • Cholesterol: 17.8 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

More Dinner

  • Salads without Lettuce
  • Simple Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Cream
  • The Best Tacos Rancheros
  • What to Do About Freezer Burn Chicken

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. [email protected]

    November 28, 2013 at 9:26 pm

    A very HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and your family.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube
Download The Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthier Life

Fresh Favorites

  • Authentic New Orleans Chicken Gumbo
  • Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  • 20+ Low Carb Lunch Ideas
  • Crispy Garlic Chicken Thighs

Trending Now

  • Teen Girl Gift Ideas for New Drivers
  • Paleo Chili Recipe | All Meat Veggie Chili
  • How to Roast Vegetables
  • Benefits of Intermittent Fasting for Women

Footer

^ back to top

Browse

  • Recipe Index
  • Weekly Meal Plan
  • Clean Eating Program

Download the Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthy Life

laura holding meal plan guide in front of prepped food

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA