Name: Spicy Green Pea Salad
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces sugar snap peas , strings removed; 8 ounces snow peas , strings removed; 1 teaspoon table salt , plus salt for blanching vegetables; 1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, plus ¼ cup leaves; ½ cup plain yogurt; 1 serrano chile , stemmed, halved lengthwise, and seeded; 2 garlic cloves , smashed and peeled; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional); 3 Persian cucumbers , halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise ½ inch thick

Why This Recipe Works

Most cookout spreads consist of rich meats and creamy sides. This dish brings something else to the table. For a fresh take on a cold summer side salad, we leaned into in-season produce by pairing snap peas, snow peas, and cucumbers with a quick cilantro-serrano dressing. Blanching the peas ensured they were perfectly tender and vividly green. Cumin added warm flavor to the dressing, which is a combination of cilantro, serrano chile, yogurt, lemon juice, and garlic. The crisp vegetables and punchy dressing make a salad that’s equal parts spicy, bright-flavored, and aromatic—a refreshing addition to any cookout.

Before You Begin

We prefer whole-milk yogurt here; low-fat or nonfat yogurt produced dressings that were too loose. You can use Greek yogurt if you prefer, but you may need to thin the dressing with a small amount of water after blending.

Instructions

Fill large bowl halfway with ice and water. Bring 2 quarts water to boil in large saucepan. Add 8 ounces sugar snap peas, 8 ounces snow peas, and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until peas are bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer peas to ice bath and let sit until cooled. Drain well, then transfer to kitchen towel and pat dry. Cut peas crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Combine 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro; ½ cup plain yogurt; 1 stemmed, halved, and seeded serrano; 2 smashed and peeled garlic cloves; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; 1 teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ½ teaspoon cumin; and ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, if using, to blender jar and blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of jar as needed. Toss snap peas, snow peas, 3 halved and sliced Persian cucumbers, and cilantro dressing together in bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to serving bowl or platter. Sprinkle with ¼ cup cilantro leaves and serve.