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Spring Pea Salad

By Annie Petito

Published on January 6, 2020

Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Spring Pea Salad

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut on bias into ½-inch pieces½ teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided, plus salt for blanching9 ounces shell-on English peas, shelled (about ¾ cup)5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula 4 ounces snow peas, strings removed, sliced thin on bias4 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced into thin half-moons⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

Before You Begin

If you can't find fresh English peas, you can substitute ¾ cup of thawed frozen peas (there is no need to blanch them). The English peas and sugar snap peas can be blanched, shocked, patted dry, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving.

Instructions

  1. Mince garlic and immediately combine with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in medium bowl; set aside. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Nestle colander into ice bath. Line large plate with double layer of paper towels.
  2. Bring 1 quart water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add snap peas and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until snap peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer snap peas to colander set in ice bath. Add English peas to boiling water and cook until bright green and tender, about 1½ minutes. Transfer to colander with snap peas. Once peas are chilled, lift colander from ice bath and transfer peas to prepared plate.
  3. Whisk ¼ cup oil, yogurt, mustard, pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt into garlic mixture until combined. Spread dressing evenly over bottom of large shallow bowl or serving platter.
  4. In separate large bowl, toss arugula, snow peas, radishes, mint, and chilled peas with remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, remaining pinch salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil until evenly coated. Pile salad on top of dressing. Serve immediately, combining salad with dressing as you serve.

Spring Pea Salad

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By Annie Petito
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Time

40 minutes

Yield

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut on bias into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided, plus salt for blanching
9 ounces shell-on English peas, shelled (about ¾ cup)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula
4 ounces snow peas, strings removed, sliced thin on bias
4 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced into thin half-moons
⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut on bias into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided, plus salt for blanching
9 ounces shell-on English peas, shelled (about ¾ cup)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula
4 ounces snow peas, strings removed, sliced thin on bias
4 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced into thin half-moons
⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice, divided
4 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed, cut on bias into ½-inch pieces
½ teaspoon plus pinch table salt, divided, plus salt for blanching
9 ounces shell-on English peas, shelled (about ¾ cup)
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 ounces (2 cups) baby arugula
4 ounces snow peas, strings removed, sliced thin on bias
4 radishes, trimmed, halved, and sliced into thin half-moons
⅓ cup fresh mint leaves, torn if large

Why This Recipe Works

Spring is when peas are in season and at their sweetest, snappiest best. We wanted to showcase the three main types—English, snow, and sugar snap—in a knockout spring salad. First we briefly blanched the sugar snap and shelled English peas. Peas start converting their sugars into starch from the moment they're picked; a quick dip in boiling water dissolves their remaining sugars and makes them more available to taste, and the moist heat can even out any toughness in their skins. The more delicate snow peas lost too much of their crunch when blanched, so we left them raw. To add visual variety to the salad, we cut the snap peas into bite-size pieces and the snow peas on the bias into thin strips. This also helped them tangle with the other components: bright-red radishes cut into half-moons, handfuls of baby arugula, and lots of fresh mint. We tossed the salad with a little lemon juice and olive oil and plated it on top of a creamy yogurt-based dressing, which we tossed with the salad at the table as we served it. That way, the salad kept its vibrant, celebratory appearance.

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Before You Begin

If you can't find fresh English peas, you can substitute ¾ cup of thawed frozen peas (there is no need to blanch them). The English peas and sugar snap peas can be blanched, shocked, patted dry, and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before serving.

Instructions

  1. Mince garlic and immediately combine with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in medium bowl; set aside. Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Nestle colander into ice bath. Line large plate with double layer of paper towels.
  2. Bring 1 quart water to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add snap peas and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until snap peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Using spider skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer snap peas to colander set in ice bath. Add English peas to boiling water and cook until bright green and tender, about 1½ minutes. Transfer to colander with snap peas. Once peas are chilled, lift colander from ice bath and transfer peas to prepared plate.
  3. Whisk ¼ cup oil, yogurt, mustard, pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt into garlic mixture until combined. Spread dressing evenly over bottom of large shallow bowl or serving platter.
  4. In separate large bowl, toss arugula, snow peas, radishes, mint, and chilled peas with remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, remaining pinch salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil until evenly coated. Pile salad on top of dressing. Serve immediately, combining salad with dressing as you serve.

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Appears In

Magazine

March / April 2020

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