Are Mushy Peas Vegan?

Mushy peas

Ask anyone what they eat with their chips and you’re sure to get a mixed response depending on who you’re talking to. Gravy, ketchup, curry sauce, mushy peas or maybe a combination of the above. 

Mushy peas are made by mashing cooked garden peas. Sometimes that’s all it is, but often they can be mixed with butter, perhaps a little lemon juice, some salt, pepper and mint – the result is pretty good, but is it vegan?

Are mushy peas vegan?

This isn’t as straightforward an answer as you might think, as they can very easily be vegan-friendly, but they aren’t always. If there’s butter used, then the type of butter or spread used to give it its creamy texture that’s the culprit – but if you’re going homemade then plant-based butter (or no butter) will make it vegan.

Are chip shop mushy peas vegan?

Generally speaking, it’s hard to say if chip shop mushy peas are vegan or not as they might include butter or be cross-contaminated with fish, meat or other animal products, so it’s always worth asking. Failing that, make your own:

Vegan mushy peas recipe

Check out this recipe for vegan mushy peas from the Easy Vegan blog. 

What next?

Want a recipe for vegan ‘fish’ and chips to have with your plant-based mushy peas? Here’s a tasty recipe from our Food Editor, Val.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.