Pea shoots are available mid-spring through fall at farmer’s markets and Asian grocery stores. Or you can grow them yourself from seed. That is what I did with these, but more on that later. For now, let’s talk about why we all should be eating pea shoots right now.
These tender greens are loaded with beta carotene, vitamin C, folate and fiber, all things that we could use a little more of in our diet. They taste like, well, peas. The leafy shoots are simply the immature peas plants before they flower and form pods. They have a bit of crunch to the stems and work well in many different types of salad.
Here the bright green shoots are combined with sweet peas, celery and radishes for a serious snap. A simple miso dressing rounds out the salad with a little bit of probiotic goodness.
Pea Shoot Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
- 2 ounces pea shoots
- 1/2 cup sliced radishes
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red miso
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions
- Step 1 In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Blanch the peas for 1 minute and plunge into an ice bath. Drain.
- Step 2 In a bowl, toss the pea shoots, radishes, celery, mint and cooled peas.
- Step 3 In another small bowl, whisk the olive oil, miso, and vinegar until combined. Pour over the vegetables, and toss to combine.
