Snap Pea Salad with Ginger Dressing
Crunchy, light and so simple to make, this veggie salad combines snap peas, carrots, red bell peppers and green onions with a savory ginger dressing. A perfect spring salad that’s ready in 20 minutes.
Spring has definitely sprung and that means my favorite vegetable (and star of the show in today’s recipe) will soon be in ample supply at grocery stores and farmer’s markets. I love snap peas so much that every year I plant a large pot of them, my own private stash if you will.
Typically grown in early spring, snap peas (also known as sugar snap peas) mature rather quickly and are often one of the first harvested spring vegetables. Snap peas are a cross between traditional English peas (green peas) and snow peas. Compared to snow peas, the edible pod of snap peas is thicker and plumper. They also tend to be a bit sweeter than snow peas with a lot more crunch.
Snap peas are packed with vitamin C, providing more than 75 percent of your daily requirement in one cup. They also supply a healthy dose of vitamins A and K, manganese, iron, and fiber.
When selecting snap peas, look for bright green pods that are plump and crisp. If you break a pod in half, you should hear a snap. For the sweetest flavor, use snap peas as soon as possible. As the sugar in the peas turns to starch, their sweetness fades. Keep peas refrigerated in a plastic bag and use within 2 to 3 days.
If you have the time, when cleaning and prepping snap peas it’s nice to remove the somewhat fibrous string that runs along the entire pod. Just snap or cut off the stem end and pull down the length of pea pod to remove the string.
Snap peas are delicious when eaten raw as in today’s salad. They’re also wonderful quickly sautéed in olive oil and tossed with a simple balsamic or lemon vinaigrette. If you’re going to sauté snap peas, be sure to keep the cooking time short, just 3 to 4 minutes. Overcooked snap peas lose their bright green color and tend to turn mushy.
To your health,
Darlene
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SNAP PEA SALAD with GINGER DRESSING
Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: about 2/3 cup
Prep: 15 minutes
Ready: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger root
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons finely minced onion
1 clove finely minced garlic
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 cups fresh snap peas, cleaned, trimmed, and cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup sliced green onion (green and white parts)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS
To prepare the ginger dressing, whisk together oil, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger root, sugar, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper; set aside.
Add snap peas, carrots, red bell pepper, and green onion to a large bowl and combine. Just before serving, add ginger dressing and toss to combine.
Place salad in a serving bowl, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.
Nutrition Information per Serving
84 Calories, 5 g Total fat, 1 g Saturated fat, 0 g Trans fat, 0 mg Cholesterol, 168 mg Sodium, 8 g Total carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary fiber, 4 g Total sugars, 1 g Added sugars, 2 g Protein, 0 mcg (0%) Vitamin D, 33 mg (2%) Calcium, 1 mg (6%) Iron, 172 mg (4%) Potassium
© 2026 RECIPES MADE HEALTHY BY DARLENE ZIMMERMAN, MS, RD LLC
