22 Spring Pea Recipes to Make While They’re at Peak Freshness (2024)

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22 Spring Pea Recipes to Make While They’re at Peak Freshness (1)

By Taryn Pire

Published Mar 17, 2021

’Tis (finally) the season for spring produce, and we have our sights set on the freshest peas at the farmers market. Whether you’re using garden peas, snow peas or snap peas, their sweet, earthy flavor and vibrant color are bound to brighten up any seasonal dish you make. Here are 22 spring pea recipes to try while they’re at peak deliciousness, from soup to crostini.

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Matt Armendariz/Eat What You Want

1. Double Pea, Prosciutto And Burrata Platter

Aka the greenest charcuterie plate you’ll ever assemble. The peas are tossed in a mix of lemon juice, olive oil, Pecorino Romano and spices.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

2. Spring Pea Soup With Mint

In case you haven’t heard, mint and peas are basically soulmates. Mint’s bright herbal flavor brings out the best in the peas’ delicate sweetness.

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Amanda Frederickson/Simple Beautiful Food

3. Seared Scallops With Green Peas, Mint And Shallots

After the peas are blanched, they’re blended with herbs and seasonings until they become a creamy purée.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

4. Spring Panzanella Salad

Bread salad, where have you been all our life? Not only is this dish loaded with whole-wheat sourdough and tangy mustard dressing, but it’s also got a ton of seasonal produce, like asparagus, peas, scallions and watercress.

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Connie Miller/Milk Street, Fast and Slow

5. Instant Pot Spaghetti With Goat Cheese, Mint And Peas

Cooking pasta in your pressure cooker is life changing. The key is dropping the dry noodles with the aromatics first for flavor, then quick-releasing the pressure once they’re cooked, so they stay al dente.

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Lauren V. Allen/Chèvre

6. Sugar Snap Pea Salad With Chèvre Ranch

Goat’s milk cheese can do so much more than sit on a cheese board and look pretty. The proof is in the pudding dressing, made with mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and all the fresh herbs.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

7. Asparagus, Pea And Ricotta Tarts

These pretty appetizers are destined for Easter brunch. They’re made with store-bought puff pastry dough, so you’ll only need to assemble and bake the tarts to flaky perfection.

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Jake Gartland

8. Sweet Pea And Leek Curry

Bring on the anti-inflammatories (looking at you, turmeric). Serve the curry over brown rice to make it a meal.

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Photo: Jon Cospito/Styling: Heath Goldman

9. 20-minute Burrata Salad With Stone Fruit And Asparagus

BRB, picking all the fresh peaches, plums and cherries we can get our hands on.

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Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell

10. Chicken And Snap Pea Stir-fry

You can never have too many 20-minute weeknight dinners up your sleeve, especially those that keep you from ordering takeout (again…).

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11. Spring Pea And Asparagus Pasta

Pasta + fresh veggies + lemon butter + toasted pine nuts = the classiest (and simplest) potluck contribution of all time.

12. Creamy Asparagus And Pea Soup

Two seasonal heavyweights transform into a decadent, garlicky masterpiece after being roasted and blended until creamy. We’ll take extra garlic-herb croutons on ours, please.

13. Spring Pea Crostini With Feta And Dill

These are nutritious, elegant and oh so springy, meaning they’re just the Mother’s Day appetizer you’ve been searching for.

14. Spring Pea Pasta With Burrata

This dish is super flexible. Feel free to use fresh mozzarella instead of burrata, swap in frozen peas for fresh or throw some asparagus or scallions into the mix.

15. Super Green Pea And Asparagus Burrata Pizza

Not only does it boast tangy crumbled feta, peppery watercress and salty prosciutto, but it’s also finished with a fresh basil vinaigrette that makes the pie sing.

16. Spring Pea And Carrot Salad With Carrot Top Pesto

PSA: Do *not* throw out your carrot greens. They’re sweet and earthy, plus make a great pesto base with the help of fresh basil.

17. Smashed Pea Bruschetta With Whipped Ricotta

Bury us in lemon-kissed, light-as-air ricotta cheese, please and thank you.

18. Spring Pea Pasta With Truffle Oil, Lemon And Mint

The recipe calls for pea shoots, which are the leaves that grow on a pea plant. They’re super crisp raw but turn tender and wilted once they’re added to the warm pasta.

19. Minestrone Verde

Come for the green beans, zucchini, sweet peas and fava beans, stay for the pistachio-parsley gremolata.

20. Pancetta Pea Asparagus Farro Risotto

Risotto is typically made with rice, but did you know you could substitute anything from buckwheat to quinoa to barley? Trade arborio for farro, a hearty whole grain that’s loaded with protein, fiber and nutrients.

21. Everything Spring Green Salad With Lemon Basil Vinaigrette

This mix of cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers and more is almost too gorgeous to eat. Almost.

22. Spring Pea And Onion Gluten-free Noodle Bowls

Rice noodles are the chewy, light pasta alternative we can’t get enough of. They’re more than just delicious, too: They’re packed with phosphorus, manganese and selenium.

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22 Spring Pea Recipes to Make While They’re at Peak Freshness (24)

Taryn Pire

Food Editor

Taryn Pire is PureWow’s food editor and has been writing about all things delicious since 2016. She’s developed recipes, reviewed restaurants and investigated food trends at...

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22 Spring Pea Recipes to Make While They’re at Peak Freshness (2024)

FAQs

22 Spring Pea Recipes to Make While They’re at Peak Freshness? ›

Fresh peas

Available from mid-June to mid-August, peas lose their sweet taste and green colour quickly so they should always be eaten as fresh as possible.

What is the season for fresh peas? ›

Fresh peas

Available from mid-June to mid-August, peas lose their sweet taste and green colour quickly so they should always be eaten as fresh as possible.

Why are my frozen peas hard after cooking? ›

Don't overcook otherwise peas will shrivel and become tough. Season after cooking - once cooked, immediately add lemon juice (highly recommended) and seasoning(s) of choice. Many recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of sugar per pound of frozen peas to bring out the sweetness but I haven't found this to be necessary.

Can you eat raw peas? ›

You can eat raw peas. They are commonly added to salads, rice, or other dishes. Or mix them with hummus to have as a snack. When it comes to some types of peas, like snap peas and snow peas, the whole pod is edible.

Are green peas and sweet peas the same? ›

The sweet pea isn't a pea at all—in fact, the seeds of the sweet pea plant are toxic and not edible! However, regular, garden-variety peas are sometimes informally called sweet peas, so that is where the confusion stems from.

Should fresh peas be soaked before cooking? ›

Soaking is strongly recommended for all beans and peas, except lentils and black-eyed peas, for even cooking and to remove water-soluble, gas-producing starches. Soaking can be done using the traditional or the quick-soak method. TRADITIONAL METHOD: Clean and rinse beans; cover with three times as much water as beans.

Should frozen peas be thawed before cooking? ›

Frozen peas – Cook from FROZEN, not thawed! Well, it's fine if they are thawed but there is no need to. Baby vs regular – The recipe works for either. Baby peas (called petite peas in some countries) are slightly sweeter with a slightly softer skin.

Why do frozen peas taste weird? ›

Canned are overcooked by the canning process. Frozen are still raw. You should taste fresh picked raw peas for a real baseline.

What happens if you don't soak peas before cooking? ›

Is Soaking Beans Necessary? Don't worry about soaking lentils, split peas, or black-eyed peas (or cowpeas). Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time.

Why can't you eat frozen peas raw? ›

If you want to ensure that you don't get sick from frozen vegetables, you must cook them to over 75 degrees celsius to kill listeria, Food Safety Information Council chair Rachelle Williams said. "In the freezer bacteria don't die.

Which peas can you not eat raw? ›

English peas, sometimes referred to as shelling or garden peas, are not poisonous. However eating English peas raw can cause certain problems for at-risk individuals. Fresh garden peas contain both lectins and phytic acid. Lectins can cause gas and bloating, while phytic acid interferes with the absorption of minerals.

Are peas good for your digestive system? ›

Peas contain natural prebiotics that nourish the beneficial bacteria in our guts, known as probiotics. This interaction fosters a healthy balance of gut flora, to optimise digestion and the absorption of key nutrients such as vitamin A, iron and thiamine (B1) to support our immune systems.

Can dogs eat peas? ›

Yes, dogs can eat peas. Green peas, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and garden or English peas are all OK for dogs to find in their bowl on occasion. Peas have several vitamins, minerals, and are rich in protein and high in fiber. You can feed your dog fresh or frozen peas, but avoid canned peas with added sodium.

Are peas good for diabetics? ›

Peas can be considered a safe and beneficial addition to the diet for individuals with diabetes, thanks to their low glycemic index and high fiber content. The slow digestion of peas' carbohydrates can help regulate blood sugar levels, making them suitable for maintaining stable glucose levels.

What are sugar peas called? ›

Snap peas are also known as sugar snap peas and are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. The whole pod is eaten and has a crunchy texture and very sweet flavor. Snap peas may be eaten raw or cooked.

Why is it hard to find fresh peas? ›

Fresh peas are usually available in the late spring and early summer, and they have a relatively short growing season. This means that fresh peas may only be available in grocery stores for a few weeks out of the year.

Do peas produce all season? ›

Most varieties of peas need about 60 days of growth before harvest. But they will stop growing and not produce flowers or pods once temperatures get above 85°F, as often happens in June. Although the plants do need full sun, peas produced in hot weather may also have poor quality.

Are peas always in season? ›

They seem to prefer the sort of summer that none of us really want cool and cloudy! This is why sometimes the best peas are always produced at the early part of the summer. In most seasons the pea harvest is usually over towards the end of July.

What season is snap peas? ›

Sugar snap peas have a relatively short growing season which starts in early spring and wraps up by late summer, with an optional early fall window for some locations.

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