This vegetarian Spring Pea Salad is an easy and elegant side dish for spring and summer. Fresh spring vegetables are combined with arugula and tossed in a zesty lemon vinaigrette, giving it layers of bright, complex flavors you’ll love.
Don’t you just love spring? Spring flowers, spring markets, spring peas! It’s the perfect time of year to make this Spring Pea Salad, a naturally vegetarian and incredibly simple side dish with enough elegance to go around.
Just like my carrot top pesto hummus and grilled asparagus pasta salad, this salad is loaded with fresh seasonal ingredients that never lack flavor. Snap peas, green peas, asparagus, cucumbers, and radishes are combined with leafy greens and goat cheese before being doused in a 5-ingredient lemon dressing. It takes less than 20 minutes to toss together, making it a must-bring to Sunday brunch and backyard barbecues.
If you love my pea salad or my arugula salad, you’re going to adore this snap pea salad!
Recipe features
- It’s a beautifully bright and refreshing spring salad that celebrates seasonal produce.
- A quick and easy yet elegant side dish that’s ready and on the table in under 20 minutes!
- It’s a canvas for creativity. You can easily change up the cheese, greens, dressing, and more to make it your own.
Ingredients
This list is to provide further clarification on a few of the ingredients. The full ingredient list is below in the recipe card.
Leafy greens – Arugula is one of my favorite leafy greens for vibrant spring salads like this because its peppery, slightly spicy bite adds a nice contrast to the sweet vegetables. If you’re not a fan of arugula, feel free to use a spring mix or any tender greens you love.
Snap peas – Look for firm and plump fresh snap peas for that classic sweet and oh-so-refreshing crunch. If they’re stringy, trim the ends and pull along the seam to remove the fibrous string.
Asparagus – Making a salad with asparagus instantly helps it scream, “Spring!” Don’t forget to trim off the tough ends before blanching them. If your asparagus spears are thick, you may want to slice them in half lengthwise after blanching.
Fresh or frozen peas – We’re doubling up on the peas here and making this salad with both snap peas and classic green peas! If you can’t find fresh shelling peas, use frozen peas instead (blanched for 1 minute).
Cucumbers and radishes – Very thinly sliced mini cucumbers (AKA Persian cucumbers) and red radishes make this spring pea salad cooling and refreshing. If raw radishes are too peppery for your taste, soak the slices in cold water for 15 minutes before adding them to the salad.
Goat cheese – It adds an earthy flavor and slight creaminess. For a dairy-free option, use another soft vegan cheese you like or skip it altogether—your asparagus pea salad will still be delicious.
Zesty lemon dressing – The homemade dressing is made with the juice and zest of one lemon, olive oil, champagne vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper. This dressing is as simple as it gets, which is why it’s important to use the highest quality olive oil you can find. This guide on buying and using good-quality olive oil by Food & Wine will help you know what to look for. Trust me—you can taste the difference in quality!
Instructions
Step 1: Make the dressing. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Set the dressing aside while you prep the rest of the salad.
Step 2: Blanch the veggies. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas first and boil for 1 minute. Then, add the asparagus and boil for another minute. Finally, add the peas and boil for 1 to 2 minutes more or until all of the vegetables are tender-crisp and bright green.
Step 3: Cool and drain. Immediately drain the vegetables in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Let them sit in the colander for at least 5 minutes to dry.
Step 4: Assemble and serve. Add the arugula to a large serving platter (or divide it between individual bowls) and top it with the blanched veggies, sliced cucumbers, radishes, and crumbled goat cheese. Drizzle the dressing over top, then serve and enjoy.
Tips and FAQs
- Give the veggies time to dry before assembling, unless you want a watery split pea salad! Either let them sit in the colander for 5 minutes after rinsing or use a salad spinner to quickly remove excess moisture.
- Slice the radishes and cucumbers with a sharp knife or mandoline for the most consistently sized paper-thin slices.
Tip
The key to keeping the blanched vegetables bright green with a tender-crisp texture is to “shock” them with cold water immediately after cooking. This stops the cooking process and prevents them from losing their magic.
Variations
- If you’re not a goat cheese fan – Swap it for crumbled feta, shaved parmesan, fresh mozzarella pearls, or torn burrata. Soft and creamy cheeses pair particularly well with the lemony dressing and fresh greens.
- Champagne vinegar substitute – The floral notes in champagne vinegar make it one of my favorite ingredients in homemade salad dressing. If you can’t find it, replace it with 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.
- Change the dressing – Dress the salad in a balsamic vinaigrette to keep it classic or a honey mint vinaigrette for a sweeter, tangier twist.
- For extra crunch – Top the salad with toasted pine nuts, sliced almonds, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds.
- More add-in ideas – You can easily customize this green pea salad with flavorful extras like creamy avocado, fresh parsley, mint, and/or basil, or kalamata or green olives.
Serving suggestions
This spring pea salad is delightful when served slightly chilled or at room temperature. Just don’t serve it straight from the fridge or else the cold can dull its vibrant flavors.
It’s a perfect side dish to put out with a spring-themed brunch spread. Pair it with a veggie-packed frittata or quiche and all of the classics, like carrot pancakes and cobb salad.
It’ll instantly cool you down on hot summer days, too. I love bringing it to the picnic or serving it as a cooling side dish at backyard barbecues. It always fits in next to these grilled chicken skewers, pasta salad, and seared salmon.
Want to turn it into a more substantial meal? Top the salad with two sliced chicken breasts, cooked shrimp, or crispy chickpeas.
What other vegetables can I add to this salad?
Stick with what’s in season during spring and summer if you can. This spring pea salad only gets better when it’s assembled with sliced radicchio, spring onions, roasted artichoke hearts, or blanched green beans.
What’s the difference between garden peas and sweet peas?
Garden peas (also called green peas or English peas) are the peas you typically find in the pod, which need to be popped out beforehand. They have a slightly firmer texture and a sweeter taste when served fresh.
Sweet peas are technically not peas at all—they’re an inedible flowering plant. However, the tender peas inside sugar snap peas or snow pea pods are often informally called sweet peas since they have a sweet-crisp flavor and are edible.
Storage
Refrigerator: The dressed green pea salad is best served right away since the dressing will cause the greens to wilt over time. If you have leftovers, pack them into an airtight container and store them in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. The veggies will be softer but the flavors will still be delicious!
Make ahead: You can prepare the dressing, blanch the vegetables, and slice the cucumbers and radishes up to 1 day in advance. Store the components separately in the fridge, then toss them together right before serving.
More spring and summer salad recipes
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Spring Pea Salad
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Ingredients
For the dressing:
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon champagne vinegar or sub 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove minced
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- pinch of black pepper
For the salad:
Instructions
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Start by making the dressing: whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl or glass measuring cup and set aside.
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Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the snap peas and boil for 1 minute. Add the asparagus and boil for 1 minute, then add the peas and boil for 1-2 minutes until everything is bright green.
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Pour through a colander and run cold water over the vegetables so they stop cooking. Allow them to sit in the colander for at least 5 minutes to allow some of the water to fall off.
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Add the arugula either to a serving platter or divide into bowls, then add the pea/asparagus mixture overtop, along with the cucumbers, radishes and goat cheese. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and enjoy!
Notes
*Make sure to use high-quality olive oil! Otherwise, the taste may be off.
*I love using champagne vinegar for homemade salad dressings or vinaigrettes, but lemon juice is a good alternative.
