Fresh, vibrant, crunchy and delicious Sugar Snap Pea Salad with fronds of fresh dill and a super tasty, fresh and zingy lemon, mustard, garlic vinaigrette. It feels like summer in the best possible way!
Okay, here's the deal. Eating Vegan Spanakopita, Vegan Zucchini Bread and ice cream bars all summer is pretty nice, but we need a delicious, healthy, fresh Sugar Snap Pea Salad to balance things out.
And anyway, while it's hot, there's nothing better than a super crispy, sweet, tangy and cooling salad to eat as a light meal or as a side, so we aren't making any sacrifices here at all.
A couple weeks ago I came across a recipe for a not vegan, Dilly Beans and Peas on Ricotta Toast on Bon Appetite's website. That's what inspired today's new summer salad recipe, and although mine is just a salad, it would be absolutely amazing used as a topping for my Vegan Cream Cheese or soft Vegan Feta Cheese on garlic-rubbed toast or on a piece of fresh baguette ... mouth. literally. watering ....
This salad is crunchy, tangy, fresh and nutritious, and when I made it for the first time we crunched our way through it in silence and all agreed it's super yum and should be made on repeat all summer long.
Here's what we've got going on:
- vibrantly green, sweet, raw and crunchy sugar snap peas
- large, soft, buttery white beans
- soft, mellow, wispy fronds of mildly anise-like fresh dill
- a fresh, zingy lemony, mustardy, garlicky dressing
It feels like summer in the best possible way.
How to make Snap Pea Salad
FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
It's all super easy. Here's what you'll be needing:
STEP 1 - Whisk up the dressing ingredients or pop them all in a jar, put the lid on and give it a good ol' shake.
STEP 2 - Open, drain and rinse a can of beans (or cook your own from dried - I use my Instant Pot for that. It's so quick and easy!).
STEP 3 - Slice the beans and chop the dill then add them with the canned beans to a large bowl.
STEP 4 - Pour over the vinaigrette.
STEP 5 - Toss everything together.
Success Tips
- Don't skip the fresh dill. It really makes this recipe special and it wouldn't be the same with dried dill.
- Use fresh lemon juice from a lemon and not from a bottle. They don't compare.
- Leave it to sit for 15 minutes (or more) after making it so that the flavours can meld together and unite perfectly.
How to serve
This fresh and crunchy salad works as a side with most meals but is particularly good with my baked tofu and my vegan crab cakes and also with most grilled food. It's also really good with my easy homemade pita breads or my easy flatbread recipe for a light lunch.
How to store Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Leftover salad will keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for a few days. It's great for packing up for picnics, potlucks and packed lunches because it keeps so well. The sugar snap peas stay perfectly crunchy and, if anything, the flavour intensifies.
Some ways you can adapt this recipe
- Use chickpeas instead of white beans
- Use lime instead of lemon
- Skip the oil and use aquafaba from a can of chickpeas instead
- Use raw broccoli pieces instead of sugar snap peas (or as well as)
So there we have it. If you feel like you need to get back on the healthy train and eat something that tastes like summer, this Snap Pea Salad is here for you.
You really don’t need to pile it high on garlic rubbed toast and vegan cream cheese or anything, but I think it might be a pretty good idea!
Also, if you're into this summer salad type situation, you'll probably like my Watermelon Mint Salad and this Strawberry Spinach Salad which are both super fresh, light and delicious with no cooking involved!
Sugar Snap Pea Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 medium lemon , juice only
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 small clove garlic , grated finely
- 4 tablespoons / 60 mls extra virgin olive oil , see recipe notes for oil-free option
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
For the salad
- 2 cups / 340 g / 12 oz canned cannellini beans (sometimes called white kidney beans) , or canned lima beans (butter beans) or gigante beans
- 15 oz / 425 g sugar snap peas
- ½ cup / 1 big handful / about 5 g fresh dill , chopped (thick stems removed)
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a small bowl or jar, add the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, pepper and salt. Whisk to combine or pop a lid on the jar and give it a good shake.
- Drain and rinse the beans and add to a large bowl.
- Wash and chop the sugar snap peas into bite sized pieces (I cut mine in half or into 3 pieces if they were quite big) and add them to the bowl with the beans.
- Chop the dill into small pieces and add to the beans and peas.
- Pour over the vinaigrette and toss to combine.
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Kim Arsenault says
Loved this salad - so light and crunchy and very delicious. Loved the dill sprigs in the salad. Lovely recipe
Donna says
Is it possible to just omit the oil from the dressing? I looked in the recipe notes section for the oil-free option but didn't see it. Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm sorry Donna. I obviously forgot to add that little bit to the notes. I just amended them. Here's what I added to save you going back "To make the vinaigrette oil-free you can simply omit the oil, or you can replace it with aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) to get a similar "clingy" effect. If you use aquafaba you will likely need to add less salt. Taste to check seasoning and add a little if necessary. "
Donna says
Brilliant, thanks! Also, massive thanks for the section on English-style recipes. I'm an expat from Gloucestershire to the US and I miss so many comfort foods from home. Mum and dad bring me Red Cross Parcels when they visit, but I really want to be able to make some unprocessed versions of the things I crave when I'm homesick. It was your recipe for Yorkshires that brought me to your blog just recently. Can't wait to try them!! Any plans for a Salad Cream recipe?
Melanie McDonald says
OMG Heinz salad cream!!! I loved it. I wonder if I can recreate it? I'm not even sure I remember what it tastes like now. We can buy it here but it has egg powder in it so I can't eat it to remember. I was planning a mayonnaise type recipe so I might have a try then.
And I totally get you as a Brit living in Canada. It's hard. Marmite and Branston Pickle are the things I miss most.
My cookbook (Vegan Comfort Cooking) actually has quite a lot of English style recipes in it. Victoria sponge, hot pot, rice pud, Bakewell tart, Full English Frittata, stew and dumplings, more too but I don't have it in front of me and can't remember. You might enjoy it!
Donna says
Definitely going to check out your book! Excited to hopefully find things I can feed my parents next time they visit, as they don't always care for American cuisine. There's a recipe I have saved for a wfpb salad cream-esque dressing (using silken tofu), but I haven't tried it and I don't have a source. I keep meaning to give it a go and see if it gives me the taste I'm looking for. M&D brought me a big jar of Branston last year when I was still eating cheese, but now I don't know what to put it on :D
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you! Field Roast Chao Cheese slices (the yellow coloured one) and Branston sandwiches are really good. It's good with veggie pate in a sandwich too.
Donna says
Question - I see lots of places I could order your book. Are there any particular vendors that are better to support for authors like yourself, vs just grabbing it from Amazon or B&N? Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
I haven't been told it makes a difference, so just order from wherever is most convenient. I believe it's currently on sale on Amazon.com. The U.S Costco has it for a really great price at the moment too.
Donna says
Thanks so much! FWIW, I tried the recipe I have bookmarked for salad cream and wasn't thrilled with it - kind of bland and not at all salad cream-like in a side-by-side test (all in the name of not wasting an open bottle that was lurking in the fridge). I added a lot more seasonings (mustard/ACV) and threw in some kala namak and a few days later it's not bad as a standalone dressing when I'm not doing a comparison. If you end up developing a recipe, I would say it needs just that little bit of eggy flavour from the kala namak and more vinegar/sweetness than expected!
Rita Washick says
Very good, Mel! Easy to make. I served my salad on a bed of butter lettuce. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you. I'm really pleased you enjoyed it Rita!