Today I am sharing a favorite, traditional Greek recipe. Another lathero. These days, here in Greece we have been getting very little sleep, what with following all the developments taking place with our economy, so I cook dishes that are very easy, almost requiring no recipe. Just vegetables cooked with olive oil and tomato, that is what a lathero is. This one is called arakas latheros, translated as peas cooked in olive oil. Not only is it easy to make, but it is also a comfort food: cooked vegetables in a rich olive oil-tomato sauce, accompanied with tangy feta and good bread to dip in the yummy juices.
I feel peas are an underestimated food, usually served on the side plainly boiled with a lump of butter on them. However, in Greek cuisine we cook them in olive oil and tomato, along with dill. We also add carrots and potatoes-(today I added only carrots as I did not have any potatoes). This meal of course, is accompanied by feta and bread. Again this is a vegetable based main meal that is characteristic of the Greek diet, not a side dish. So in essence you fulfill almost all your vegetable needs of the day, in just one meal.
Peas although a starchy vegetable, are a good source of protein. Peas are actually considered a legume. Apart from protein it is a great source of fiber, beta-carotene, vitamin C, folate, but also a good source of iron and calcium. In addition peas have high antioxidant activity due to the presence of beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin.
This dish, as with all lathera is consumed at room temperature and tastes better the next day.
Greek Style Peas-Arakas Latheros
Ingredients
- 1 pound peas (fresh or frozen)
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 potato cut in bite size pieces
- 2 medium grated tomatoes or 10-12 ounce can of chopped tomatoes
- ½ cup olive oil
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped dill
- salt/pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot.
- Sauté onions until soft. Add carrots and potatoes and sauté 3-4 minutes more.
- Add peas and heat and mix until all peas are covered in the olive oil.
- Add the tomato, dill, pepper and a half teaspoon salt. Add enough hot water so that the peas are covered just a bit (about ¼ cup).
- Mix well and bring to a boil. Then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until peas are soft and water is gone-they should only be left with the olive oil.
- Serve at room temperature with feta and bread. Add salt as needed.
62 Comments
I see that you recommend eating this with a good bread to dip in the juices. What kind of bread would you recommend?
Anything thick to soak up the juice!
Thanks Laura!
Hi Kim,
Whole grain and sourdough, and generally a dense type of bread.
Thank you, can’t wait to try it.
How many people does this typically serve, and how big are the servings? I’m just starting out and so glad I found your site! 🙂
This has become our way of having peas, no more boiled peas. Utterly delicious, so versatile. I love your recipes and living in Athens, with locally sourced vegetables and your recipes, it give us very healthy meals.
Thank you Lynne! Happy you are enjoying the recipes!
I have a couple of question about the feta & bread to accompany this delicious looking dish. What type of bread would you suggest? Should the feta be a whole piece or just sprinkled on top? Approximately how much feta?
Amazing recipe, like it came straight from Greece! I boiled the potatoes and carrots for about 5min before adding them to the pot. I also added some garlic.
Thank you Stephanie!!
I have this simmering on the stove now! How many servings is this recipe? Thanks!