This Green Peas Stew is a dish that has so many variations in different Mediterranean & Eastern European countries, sometimes ingredients used vary by region even in the same country. This recipe is an Albanian recipe, we call it Gjelle me Bizele.
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Albanian Green Peas Stew
I grew up in Tirana, Albania and my mom taught me how to cook this green peas stew since I was very young. It’s one of my favorite recipes and I tend to cook it quite often for my family too.
Before I had the idea about this blog, I used to cook without a recipe in front of me. I kind of remembered the main ingredients and adjusted the spices & cooking greens to taste. However, as I’ve started this journey of documenting family recipes from both sides of the family for my kids, I would like to pin down the most traditional way of cooking this dish. I’ll share several variations in notes if you want to adjust later.
How To Serve This Soup?
My husband and I enjoy this dish as a main meal, I serve it in a soup bowl. However, my kids like the green peas stew over rice so I usually prepare a side of rice to serve with this dish. Traditionally this soup is served with warm or toasted bread loaves.
Soup Ingredients, Variations and Recipe Notes
Dill is the star ingredient of this recipe. In Albania and some other Mediterranean countries, we focus on having fresh food with lots of flavor from the actual produce and cooking greens and less from spices.
- In the absence of fresh dill, you can use parsley but it does taste like a completely different dish. I love the combination of dill and green peas, so I personally try to never substitute dill.
- You can make this recipe with no meat or very little meat. You can add beef broth or vegetable broth. Making the recipe with less meat or no meat at all makes it compliant with the Mediterranean Diet.
- Feel free to add spices like cumin or spicy flavors.
- Try if possible to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, you’ll really appreciate the flavor of the soup.
- Try using fresh green peas out of pods. I remember as a child I used to love removing the peas from pods. If using frozen, you might need to adjust cooking time or add the peas to the pot later on because the meat still needs enough time to cook.
- Green peas varieties can change how the stew will taste. I found an English variety in my grocery store that resembles the one from back home. However, I would caution against using any sweet varieties.
Green Peas Stew (Gjelle me Bizele)
Ingredients
- 1 lb meat cut in chunks for stew
- 1 lb green peas
- 2 tbsps chopped dill
- 1 medium onion
- 2 carrots peeled, chopped
- 2 medium potatoes cut in chunks
- 4 medium tomatoes, soft in the absence of fresh tomatoes, i use a can of diced tomatoes
- 0.5 tbsps salt adjust accordingly if you’re adding water
- pepper to taste
- 4 cups hot water
- paprika a pinch
- 4 tbsps olive oil extra virgin
Instructions
- Start by dicing the onion and sauteing in olive oil. Once the onion becomes translucent, add the meat. Keep the temperature on medium-high at this point and stir the meat and onions until meat is browned on all sides.
- Add diced carrots and stir few more times. Then add the diced tomatoes and once the mixture starts to boil lower temperature to medium. Add the green peas & potatoes cut in chunks.
- Then finally add 4 cups of hot water, fresh dill, salt & pepper as well as paprika. Stir well and when the stew starts to boil, then cover up and lower temperature somewhere between low and medium. My stove-top setting has 10 temperature settings, so I usually set it at 4 out of 10 and let the stew cook for at least 40 minutes. I check on it occasionally to make sure it is not running out of water or that the meat is cooking properly. I check towards the end to make sure meat & vegetables are cooked and soft.
- If you like the stew to be thicker, don’t cover the stew towards the end and let it steam out some of the water. Alternatively, if you like this dish to be thinner, more like a soup then you can add a little bit more hot water at the end until you achieve desired consistency. However, if you are going to add water, check salt levels as you might need to add a pinch more.
Notes
Nutrition Label
Nutrition
If you would like to save this recipe for later, please save the below image to Pinterest. Feel free to contact me in social media with pictures of your final product or questions you might have while cooking. Thank you:))
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Other Albanian Soups (Gjelle)
- Albanian Grosh (Fasule)
- Supe Pule (Chicken Lemon Rice Soup)
- Mashurka (Green Beans Soup)
- Gjelle me Patate (Meat & Potatoes Stew)
Update: This is my first recipe published on Aug 13, 2018 and updated with new pictures on 2/12/2020.
Scarlet Paolicchi
My father in law is Italian and he makes this delicious green peas dish in a tomato paste sauce. This green pea stew reminds me of that. I bet it is fabulous!
admin
I’ve lived half of my life in Albania and half in United States. While living here in US I’ve found so many Italian, Greek restaurants that have few dishes similar to Albanian ones. I guess it’s the whole Mediterranean lifestyle. Anytime I miss home food i go to these places:)).
I’m so happy your father in law makes a soup similar to this one.
Yasmari Bello
Green peas Soup! I love it. Thanks for your recipe!
Fabiola Acosta
I loved this recipe and the green peas soup, I want to cook this Albanian soup this weekend. Thabks for sharing. I love your blog and all your amazing recipes.
admin
Thank you so much Fabiola:))
Estefania
I need to try this green peas soup with dill. I’ve tried a similar soup without dill but I trust you, the dill must make a difference!
admin
Yes, it’s definitely the dill that makes the whole difference!! We use a lot of dill in the Mediterranean.
Sandra Brito
I love Albanian food. And this green peas soups sounds delicious! Tks for sharing ❤️
Rosanna Mancino
Sonila esta green peas soup looks delicious! Me encanta la arvejas y aunque es una receta de Albania, tenemos ingredientes en común así que, gracias a esos ingredientes y sabores que compartimos, me animaré hacerla… y ahora que andan las noches frías me parece una excelente opción.
admin
Muchas gracias Rosanna:))). Si es bien simple y todos los ingredientes son fáciles de encontrar. Sabes que me costó tiempo aprender que ‘dill’ es eneldo en español:))).
Mandy
This looks amazing and I’m going to pin it so I can make it soon!