Romanian Green Pea Soup (Mancare de Mazare)

🧂 Ingredients

• 450 grams green peas

  ideally frozen or fresh
• 400 grams tomato puree

  or equivalent of a small standard sized can (about 14 oz)
• 2 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 1 yellow onion

  finely diced
• 4 stalks celery

  thinly sliced
• 2 carrots

  large carrots, cut into medallions
• 6 potatoes

  small potatoes cut into small cubes
• 1 cup fresh dill

  roughly chopped
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons cimbru

  or substitute thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt

  or more to taste
• 0.5 teaspoon white pepper

  or substitute black pepper

Instructions

• 1 Preheat oven to 200 C / 400 F if using the oven method or skip this step if
  using the stovetop only.
• 2 Heat the oil over medium heat.
• 3 Add onions and cook until browned.
• 4 Add the diced carrots and celery and sauté another 3 minutes.
• 5 Add the potatoes and 400ml (1.5 cups) water.
• 6 Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 8 minutes or until potatoes are fork
  tender.
• 7 Add the crushed tomatoes and all the seasoning except the fresh dill. Stir to
  mix everything in then cover and cook on stovetop or in oven for 30-35 minutes
  or until the vegetables are soft and the tomato sauce has thickened.
• 8 Take out of oven or off stovetop and add the chopped dill, reserving some for
  garnish if you like.
• 9 Taste the stew and adjust the salt to your liking. I ended up adding an
  additional teaspoon of salt.
• 10 Serve hot with crusty bread.

Nutrition Info