Main Dishes Italian home cooking

Vegan Soy Mince and Sweet Peas

A comforting Italian home-style skillet dish of tender rehydrated soy mince and sweet green peas braised with caramelized onions and olive oil.

GF NF
Tag key
  • GF Gluten-Free
  • NF Nut-Free
Total 35 min
Prep 10 min
Cook 25 min
Marination —
Servings 4
Difficulty Easy

Ingredients

Base

Cooking

Soy Mince

Vegetables

Seasoning

Watch the video

Instructions

  1. Place the dehydrated soy mince in a bowl, pour over the hot water, and leave for 10 minutes to fully rehydrate. Drain and firmly squeeze out excess moisture with your hands.

    Tip: Squeezing out the soaking water removes any residual beany flavor and allows the soy to soak up the olive oil and onion aromatics.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, translucent, and sweet.

    Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 8 to 10 minutes until soft, translucent, and sweet.
  3. Turn the heat up to medium, add the drained soy mince to the skillet, and sauté for 5 minutes, allowing the granules to lightly brown and absorb the onion oil.

    Turn the heat up to medium, add the drained soy mince to the skillet, and sauté for 5 minutes, allowing the granules to lightly brown and absorb the onion oil.
  4. Stir in the green peas, remaining salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

    Stir in the green peas, remaining salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
  5. Add a splash of water (about 50 ml), cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the peas are tender and sweet.

  6. Remove the lid and sauté for another 2 minutes until any liquid evaporates, leaving the mince and peas glistening and fragrant. Serve warm.

    Remove the lid and sauté for another 2 minutes until any liquid evaporates, leaving the mince and peas glistening and fragrant. Serve warm.

Storage & Meal Prep

Keeps beautifully in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water or olive oil.

FAQ

Can I use frozen peas directly?

Yes, frozen peas are flash-frozen at peak sweetness and work wonderfully; add them straight from the freezer without thawing.

How can I serve this dish?

It is fantastic on its own with crusty bread, spooned over creamy polenta, or tossed with short pasta like penne or orecchiette.

Interactive Nutrition Map

Recipe ingredients

  • yellow onion150 g
  • extra virgin olive oil27 g
  • dehydrated soy mince (TVP)80 g
  • green peas150 g
  • fine salt1 tsp
  • cracked black pepper1 tsp

Per serving

172kcalCalories
12.7gProtein
15.9gCarbs
7.2gFat
6.3gFiber
Sodium588 mg26% DV
Potassium593 mg13% DV
Calcium68 mg5% DV
Iron2.5 mg14% DV
Magnesium75 mg18% DV
Vitamin C17.8 mg20% DV
Vitamin A14 µg2% DV
Vitamin K14.4 µg12% DV
Folate92 µg23% DV
Vitamin B120 µg0% DV

Estimated per serving from ingredients with nutrition data. Ingredients excluded from calculation are not represented. Missing data may understate values. Daily Values (DV) are based on 2,000 calories.

The Story Behind This Dish

This soy mince and sweet peas skillet is a staple of Italian home cooking adapted seamlessly into a plant-based kitchen. Growing up in Italy, ‘carne trita e piselli’ was the quintessential comforting dinner that parents cooked when they wanted something fast, nutritious, and loved by everyone.

Using dehydrated soy mince (TVP) captures the savory chew of ground meat while cooking in a fraction of the time. Sautéed with sweet onions, fruity extra virgin olive oil, and sweet tender green peas, this dish comes together in under 30 minutes.