Springy Pea Salad Recipe

As the days get longer and the weather warms up, it's the perfect time to enjoy a light and vibrant salad that celebrates the flavors of the season. And what better way to do that than with a springy pea salad tossed in a tangy dressing? This delightful salad features the star ingredient of spring — sweet and tender peas, combined with an array of other fresh vegetables and a zesty Dijon mustard dressing that adds a burst of flavor to every bite. 

Wellness coach and recipe developer Miriam Hahn brings us this recipe and says, "I love the fresh flavors in this salad and the peas are not only delicious but also incredibly nutritious, packed with fiber, protein, and an array of vitamins and minerals. This salad is perfect for a brunch, luncheon, baby shower, spring barbeque, or just a side salad with sandwiches." Read on to learn how to make this bowl of freshness!

To make this recipe of course we need some peas. "When you are in the produce aisle, look for a package of shelled English peas. They are spectacular in this salad. If you can't find fresh, frozen baby peas will also work," Hahn shares. Then pick up some butter lettuce, snow peas, radishes, pea shoots, chives, and a lemon while in the produce department. "I love using the butter lettuce that has the root attached because it is very crisp and fresh. For the pea shoots, some stores have a wide variety of microgreens but if you can't find fresh pea shoots, any other microgreen will work nicely in this salad," Hahn remarks. Then we just need some dressing basics like olive oil, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and some coarse salt.

If you are using fresh peas, we need to blanch them. Bring a pot of water to a boil and pour in the peas. Cook for 2 minutes then drain in a colander and place that directly into a large bowl of ice water. We want to make sure they don't continue to cook. Set those aside and tear the butter lettuce into bite size pieces and place into a large bowl. Chop the snow peas into ½-inch pieces, slice the radishes, trim off about half of the stems on the pea shoots, and mince up the chives.

The next step is to make our tangy dressing that will complement the salad ingredients so well. Take out a small bowl and combine the oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and salt. "You can make this dressing ahead of time if you are serving for a party and prepping different recipes," Hahn shares.

Now we just need to toss our beautiful green springy salad with the dressing and top it with the chopped chives. The salad is ready to serve. The salad pairs well with a multitude of entrees like Mediterranean grilled chicken or honey glazed salmon. It also is a nice complement to a pot of soup. If you want to make this salad more of a main dish, you can add some white beans or grilled chicken. Any way you serve it, this springy pea salad is sure to be your go-to dish of the season.