A healthy and flavorful minty pea summer salad topped with toasted almonds, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Fresh and easy to make!
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When I tell people that I am a food blogger they often ask about the focus of my blog – What kind of food do I make? It’s taken me awhile to answer that question comprehensively but the best description I’ve come up with so far is that I like to take ingredients that are down to earth and elevate them. This is especially true in the summer when what’s growing in the garden can be turned into a super flavorful dish. Right now that super flavorful garden ingredient is the garden pea. The peas have finally arrived and we’ve been devouring them as fast as they’ve been growing. There is nothing like a freshly picked garden pea and this Minty Pea and Almond salad is the perfect way to showcase them. The pea is the star of this dish and all the other ingredients work harmoniously.
This salad is so tasty. Seriously, I’ve been stalking my pea plants for the past month waiting for them to produce just so I could make this salad. Full disclosure: This is not my recipe. I learned it from a friend when we were in Montana last month. He got the recipe from some restaurant in Seattle and tweaked it a bit and then I tweaked it a bit more. So, the origin of this recipe is unknown but I’m pretty sure that every version of it is delicious.
This recipe is crazy easy but it does require a little bit of chopping. You want to end up with 4 cups of chopped peas (about 2 lbs). The first step is to rinse and trim the peas. Remove the little flower at the end along with the tough string that runs the length of the pea pod. Cut the peas into small diagonal slices. These slices should be nice and small – Cutting peas into small slices like this does require a little bit of patience. Of course, we didn’t mind cutting all those peas into little slices while in Montana because the views are pretty spectacular.
[Insert beautiful view of Montana here].
Once all the peas are sliced it’s time to make the dressing. Combine 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 heaping tsp. of sugar, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk completely to combine. The dressing should emulsify a little bit as you whisk it. Set aside.
The next step is to toast the almonds. Heat 2 oz. of sliced almonds on medium-low in a small cast iron skillet on the stove top. Cook the almonds on medium-low heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. Once the almonds are nice and toasty, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside. Next up is to chop 1/2 cup or so of fresh mint.
All that’s left is to combine all the salad ingredients. Place the thinly sliced peas into a serving bowl and add the salad dressing. Toss the peas until they are completely coated in the dressing. Add the toasted almonds, chopped mint, 1/2 cup or so of shaved Parmesan or Asiago cheese, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. That’s all there is to it.
I love recipes like this. Taking something like the humble garden pea and turning it into a restaurant-quality fare (even if I can’t technically claim credit for its creation). I was excited to learn this recipe because it exemplifies the message I work so hard to convey – the best dishes come from down-to-earth ingredients that are easily elevated with simple techniques. And often we don’t need to look any farther than our garden to find them.
Pottery by Bill Gossman.
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A healthy and flavorful minty pea summer salad topped with toasted almonds, Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest. Fresh and easy to make!
- 4 cups garden peas
- 2 oz. sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- 4 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 heaping tsp. sugar
- lemon zest
- salt
- pepper
Rinse and trim 4 cups (2 lbs. or so) of garden peas. Remove the flower and tough strings from peas.
Cut the peas into small diagonal slices. Place the sliced peas in a serving bowl.
To prepare the dressing combine 4 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 3 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 heaping tsp. sugar, and a generous pinch of salt in pepper in a small bowl. Whisk completely to emulsify.
Toast a 2 oz. package of sliced almonds in a small cast iron skillet on medium-low heat for 5 minutes or so, stirring often to prevent burning. Remove pan from heat once almonds are toasted.
Thinly chop 1/2 cup or so of fresh mint.
Pour all of the dressing over the sliced peas and toss to combine. Add the toasted almonds, chopped mint, 1/2 cup or so of shaved Parmesan, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Toss once again to combine all the ingredients.
To serve: Top with lemon zest and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
What a fun and healthy salad. I love pea pods, especially fresh home grown! How nice that you have them in your garden! I look forward to making your salad!! Beautiful photos!!
Thank you, Elaine! This salad is so simple to make and just tastes like summer. 🙂