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A vibrant and crisp, this snap pea salad features three kinds of peas—snap peas, snow peas, and green peas. Tossed with a simple vinaigrette, fresh mint and shallots, this green pea salad gets piled onto whipped goat cheese and finished with lemon zest and black pepper. A one-of-a-kind!
The pea salads I knew growing up in the Midwest were creamy, sweet and often featured ham or bacon, red onion, and sometimes cubes of Cheddar. I call it retro, but it’s definitely still a mainstay on most potluck tables in Iowa and beyond.
It’s not my *favorite* thing on the table, but I love the concept of pea salad. So this is my version. Crunchier, brighter, fresher. Three types of peas get punched up with lemon zest, mint and goat cheese. One bit and you’ll wonder why we’ve been covering up this gorgeous vegetable with mayo.
Green Pea Salad
Instead of the heavy creamy dressing, this pea salad features a simple vinaigrette (just four ingredients!) and gets piled onto a silky bed of buttermilk-whipped goat cheese. Instead of the salty ham (or bacon) and Cheddar cheese, this salad finds its flavor in the form of fresh shallots, mint and lemon zest. A quick turn of black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil brings everything together.
If you’re looking for a pea salad that uses only sweet peas, check out our take on the classic Italian recipe for Peas, Prosciutto and Pinot!
Ingredients Needed
- fresh goat cheese
- buttermilk
- extra-virgin olive oil
- white wine vinegar—champagne or tarragon vinegar are great substitutions.
- Dijon mustard
- honey—maple syrup will also work
- sugar snap peas
- snow peas
- frozen peas
- shallot
- fresh mint—if you don’t like mint, tarragon would also work well.
- lemon
How to Make Pea Salad
- Thinly slice the snow peas and snap peas. Thaw the frozen sweet peas.
- Whisk the goat cheese and buttermilk together until light and airy. This will require vigorous whisking! Don’t forget to season with salt and pep.
- For the vinaigrette, whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon and honey in a large bowl; season with salt and pepper.
- Add the peas, shallot and mint to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
- Spread whipped goat cheese over a large plate or platter.
- Pile pea salad over goat cheese and finish with minced lemon zest, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serve Pea Salad With
30-Minute Meal
Juicy Pan Seared Chicken Breast Recipe
30-Minute Meal
Oven Baked Chicken Cutlets
Salmon
Pan Seared Salmon Recipe
How to Thaw Frozen Peas
Your first instinct may be to zap the frozen peas in the microwave. It will certainly thaw them, but it will also overcook the peas and cause them to take on a wrinkly skin. Instead, place the frozen peas in a bowl and cover with cold water. Let the peas sit for 5 minutes, then drain and repeat until the peas are completely thawed.
How to Prep Snow Peas
Snow peas have a tough string running down the length of their straight side. To quickly and easily remove that tough string, snap the tapered end of the pea and drag the tip down the length of the straight side of the pea. This will drag and remove that pesky tough string. Check out this video for a tutorial!
How to Store Pea Salad
I don’t recommend making this salad in advance. It’s the type of side dish that’s best served right after making. If you have leftovers, store them in a glass container or bowl with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Variations:
- add chopped dates of currants to the salad.
- add toasted slivered almonds for some additional crunch.
- use only snap peas for a simpler, more streamlined pea salad.
- make this salad dairy-free by skipping the whipped goat cheese.
- make this salad vegan by skipping the whipped goat cheese and using maple syrup in place of honey.
More Flavorful Side Salads
Triple Pea Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese
Description
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Ingredients
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil + more for serving
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey or granulated sugar
- 6 –8 ounces sugar snap peas, thinly sliced
- 6 –8 ounces snow peas, strings removed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallot
- ⅓ cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
- 1 lemon, zested
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk together goat cheese, buttermilk, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper until light and airy (this will take some muscle!).
- In a large bowl whisk together oil, vinegar, Dijon and honey; season with salt and pepper. Add snap peas, snow peas, thawed green peas, shallot, and mint; toss to combine.
- Spread goat cheese mixture over a large plate or platter. Pile pea mixture over top and finish with a few turns of cracked pepper, minced fresh lemon zest and a drizzle of olive oil.
Notes
Nutrition
so flavorful, energizing, cooling and refreshing! I love this Three Pea Salad. very easy to make. i can’t wait to explore more of your salads, and also wrote my family members this afternoon about your work and this salad. PS in case it matters to readers, for some reason, I just hadnt been a pea person till today. this is scrumptious. thank you for your creativity and health expertise Lauren. ❤️❤️
Hi Therese, oh my gosh, you just made my day! I’m so glad this recipe turned you into a pea person. My work here is done!! 🙂
thanks for sharing my work with your family, appreciate it!
I love how crunchy and fresh this salad is! We subbed tofu ricotta for the whipped goat cheese, and it was a delicious vegan way to add in the creamy component. I’ve already shared this recipe with friends, and can’t wait to make it again!
OK the tofu ricotta is genius!! Love that!! Thanks for trying it and leaving a comment!