Greek Side Dishes
Anginares me Araka Recipe (Greek Artichokes with Peas)
Αγκινάρες με αρακά an-gee-NAH-res meh ah-rah-KAH · Anginares me araka
Photo: Liat Portal for Foodie Disorder - Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms with Rice and Peas.jpg by HaJunkiyada, CC BY-SA 4.0. Placeholder until original photography is shot.
In short
Anginares me araka is artichoke hearts and fresh peas simmered gently together with spring onion, dill and lemon in a good amount of olive oil, a genuinely bright, distinctly springtime Greek vegetable dish. It is closely related to the lamb and artichoke fricassee, minus the meat.
Anginares me araka pairs two vegetables that peak at exactly the same moment in spring, artichoke hearts and fresh peas, simmered together gently in olive oil with spring onion and a real amount of dill, giving a dish that tastes distinctly of the season it is made in rather than something that could be thrown together any time of year.
It shares its whole flavour profile with the lamb and artichoke fricassee found elsewhere on this site, minus the meat, which makes it a genuinely good vegan main course or side depending on how it is served, rather than simply a lesser version of a meat dish.
Fresh peas, briefly in season, give the best result, though good quality frozen peas, added only in the final few minutes, are an entirely reasonable substitute the rest of the year.
Key preparation steps
- Trim fresh artichokes to the hearts, or use frozen ones.
- Cook spring onion gently in olive oil.
- Add the artichokes and simmer until nearly tender.
- Add peas and dill, and finish with lemon.
Preparing the artichokes
Trim fresh artichokes down to the tender hearts, dropping each into water with lemon juice added to stop discolouration, exactly as with any other artichoke dish. Thawed frozen artichoke hearts are a completely reasonable, much faster substitute.
Building the base
Cook a generous amount of sliced spring onion gently in a good quantity of olive oil until soft, then add the artichoke hearts along with a little water or light stock and simmer for fifteen minutes, since artichokes need a genuine head start over fresh peas, which cook through far faster.
Adding the peas and finishing
Add fresh or frozen peas and a generous amount of chopped dill, and simmer for a further eight to ten minutes, until the peas are just tender rather than overcooked and dull. Finish with a generous squeeze of lemon off the heat, which brightens the whole dish.
Tips from my kitchen
Give the artichokes a head start
They need considerably longer than fresh peas to cook through. Add the peas only once the artichokes are nearly tender.
Use good olive oil generously
This is a ladera-style dish, and the oil becomes part of the finished sauce, so quality and quantity both matter.
Add the lemon at the very end
This keeps its brightness rather than letting it mellow into the background over the cooking time.
Anginares me Araka Recipe (Greek Artichokes with Peas)
Αγκινάρες με αρακά · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 30m
- Cook
- 30m
- Total
- 1h
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- If using fresh artichokes, trim down to the hearts, dropping each into water with the lemon juice added.
- Heat the olive oil in a wide pot. Cook the spring onions for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Add the drained artichoke hearts and the water or stock. Season, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
- Add the peas and half the dill, and simmer for a further 8 to 10 minutes, until the peas are just tender.
- Take off the heat, stir in the remaining dill and the lemon juice.
- Check the seasoning and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 218
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 22 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Sat fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Anginares me araka
Can you use frozen peas and artichoke hearts?
Yes, both work very well and save considerable preparation time, since fresh peas and artichokes both have short, specific seasons.
Is this dish related to arni me anginares?
Yes, they share the same core flavour combination of artichoke, dill and lemon, but this version is entirely vegetable-based rather than including lamb.
When is this dish traditionally made?
In spring, when fresh artichokes and peas are both genuinely in season, giving the dish its distinctly seasonal character.
