Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Taste the flavors of spring and summer in this refreshing Sugar Snap Pea Salad. Bright green snap peas are tossed with lemon zest, pistachio nuts, and olive oil for a light salad bursting with fresh flavor. The shaved parmesan add salty flavor while the creamy lemon salad dressing adds moisture and a tangy bite.

With only ten ingredients and taking less than ten minutes to make, this sugar snap pea salad is both easy and healthy. And it’s actually a recipe of my Mom’s inspired by one of our favorite restaurants in Miami. I always love when she makes it and figured it was about time to share it with you all too!

And while you can certainly enjoy this snap pea salad as is, I also think it would be a great side to a dish. My Cilantro Ginger Crab Cakes would pair perfectly with the fresh, light flavor of this salad. Another option could be to serve it alongside homemade Sweet Potato Gnocchi, how delicious does that sound?!

Ingredients in this Snap Pea Salad

Snap Peas – I used fresh for the best crisp texture and flavor. Buying them whole will save money and guarantee freshness, then all you have to do is slice them once at a diagonal and you’re set!

Parmesan Cheese – The large shreds are easiest to eat in this salad but use what you have available. Also feel free to sub for a dairy-free cheese or leave it out entirely if needed.

Pistachio Nuts – Add crunch and a unique, salty flavor to this sugar snap pea salad. If you have to swap for another nut I’d suggest toasted pine nuts or almonds.

Lemon Zest – Nothing replaces the fresh bite of lemon zest! Plus it mixes well with the snap peas in this salad.

Olive Oil – Adds moisture to the salad and keeps the snaps peas from browning.

Salt – Elevates the flavors of the homemade salad dressing.

Lemon Juice – Fresh flavor that pairs very well with the salad dressing ingredients. Sub for pre-squeezed juice if needed.

Dijon Mustard – Adds a tangy bite to the creamy lemon salad dressing.

Plant Based Milk – Choose a neutral flavored and unsweetened milk for the salad dressing. Almond or cashew are my go-to choices for this.

Garlic Cloves – Fresh pressed and minced garlic creates the best flavor. To sub with garlic powder, only use 1/8 tsp.

How to Make Sugar Snap Pea Salad

1. To make the dressing, blend all ingredients with a hand blender.

2. For the salad, chop snap peas across the length at a diagonal.  Place all chopped snap peas in a heat proof container and cover with boiling water.

3. Drain immediately in a sieve and rinse in cold water – this will bring out the brightness of the green color in the snap peas while still keeping them crisp.

4. Place snap peas in a serving dish and toss with olive oil (prevents from browning). 

5. Add lemon zest, nuts, and parmesan cheese and toss again.  Finally, toss with dressing and serve.

How to Cook Sugar Snap Peas

Sugar snap peas are best enjoyed raw or when slightly cooked. The flavor and texture of them is just so good that overcooking can lead to lifeless snap peas … and we want vibrant snap peas! That’s why I chose to simply blanch them for this salad.

All you do is boil water and then pour enough to cover the snap peas. Let the peas sit in the boiling water for just a few seconds and then drain immediately. Rinse with cold water and boom, you’re done.

This quick blanch helps to preserve the crisp texture and vibrant green color of the sugar snap peas. Which is perfect for a “raw” salad or any fresh and light dish. You could always blanch them longer or then saute them if you’d prefer a softer snap pea. The choice is yours!

Homemade Salad Dressing

If you’ve never made homemade salad dressing, consider this your push to try it! Once I started making my dressings from scratch I realized how easy and fun it can be. Not only do you get to control what ingredients go into it, but it also saves money + is better for the environment. Less money spent and less waste!

The first step is to either find a recipe or create a flavor profile that sounds good to you. Then simply gather your ingredients and find a glass jug or bottle to store it in.

In general, I’d say the basics of a good homemade salad dressing consist of an oil or vinegar, fresh or dried herbs, seasoning, and a good pH acid/base ratio. For instance, this creamy lemon salad dressing has olive oil as a base, garlic and salt for seasoning, dijon as a flavor boost, and then lemon juice for that acidic balance.

You could change this dressing up by:

• Using a different oil such as avocado or sesame.

• Adding herbs such as parsley, basil, oregano, mint, or dil.

• Mixing in seasoning such as onion powder, paprika, turmeric, or black pepper.

• Swap the lemon juice for orange or lime juice, a white whine vinegar could also work.

Sugar Snap Peas vs Snow Peas

In case you’re curious about these different pea types, let me share what I’ve learned over time. The main difference seems to be in structure/shape of the pea which in turn, slightly affects texture/flavor.

Sugar snap peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. Because of this they have a rounder pod shape and sweeter flavor. The texture has more crunch since the pods are bigger and the flavor is more robust since the peas themselves are more mature. Snap peas can have a tough string that makes chewing hard if it’s not removed. Thankfully they make stringless varieties now which is what I used for this recipe!

Snow peas are flatter with thinner pods and less of that sweet “sugar” snap pea flavor. They also have the tough strings attached and I recommend removing for optimal texture. You’ll see this variety of peas in stir fry dishes and such.

Healthy Salad Recipes

This sugar snap pea salad makes for a great quick meal or to meal prep as a nutritious and delicious meal for the week ahead. And if you’re looking for more healthy salad recipes to fuel your week, check out these blog favorites below. They’re all simple and delicious with whole food ingredients to keep you feeling good in the everyday.

Kale and Quinoa Salad – Fluffy quinoa and quick pickled apple slices are the star of this massaged kale salad that’s brimming with fresh flavor and great textures.

Tabouli Salad – Savory steel cut oats, crisp vegetables, and fresh herbs tossed with a light lemon and olive oil dressing.

Maple Roasted Squash Salad – Maple pecan roasted butternut squash, leafy greens, crunchy honey crisp apple slices, and goat cheese crumbles all tossed with a light homemade salad dressing.

And if you try this recipe, please let me know by leaving a comment and rating in the boxes below! I always love to hear from you, and it also helps other people find this recipe when they search online for the BEST Sugar Snap Pea Salad 🙂