RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
May Pick: Salads

Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Mint

Raw snap peas and radishes sliced thin and tossed with fresh mint, lemon, and olive oil, then topped with feta and toasted pistachios.

Why you'll love Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Mint

Snap peas are at their sweetest in May, and raw is the best way to taste it. Sliced on a sharp angle, they show off the tiny peas inside each pod and stay crisp and juicy, and thin coins of radish add a peppery bite and a flash of pink. Mint ties the two together with a cool, green freshness that tastes like spring.

The dressing is lemon, olive oil, a little Dijon, and scallion, and it goes on just before serving, since lemon softens the vegetables the longer it sits. Salting the radishes for a few minutes first takes the edge off their heat and seasons them through. Toasted pistachios and a little crumbled feta bring a real fat and some salt, so every forkful is crunchy, creamy, and bright.

Serve it beside lamb chops, salmon, or roast chicken, or pile it next to a few hard-cooked eggs for lunch.

Quick overview: This Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Mint takes 20 min of hands-on time and about 24 min in all and makes 4 servings, each about 1 cup. You'll need a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Snap pea and radish salad with mint, feta and pistachios
Prep 20 minCook 4 minTotal 24 minServes 4Serving about 1 cupYou'll need Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
  • 1 bunch radishes (about 8), trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
  • 12 oz snap peas
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard Label: mustard seed, vinegar, water, and salt
  • 1 scallion, thinly sliced
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/3 cup fresh mint leaves, torn
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta

Instructions

  1. Toast the pistachios: Toast the pistachios in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking often, for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip them onto a board, let them cool, and chop them coarsely. Toasting deepens their flavor and makes them crunchier.
  2. Salt the radishes: Toss the sliced radishes with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a large bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes. Salt draws out a little water and mellows their peppery bite.
  3. Slice the snap peas: Snap off the stem end of each pod and pull the string down its length. Slice the pods on a sharp diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. The long angled cut opens the pods so the dressing reaches inside.
  4. Whisk the dressing: Whisk the lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon, scallion, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl, then whisk in the olive oil until the dressing thickens slightly. Dijon helps the oil and lemon hold together so the dressing coats every piece evenly.
  5. Toss and serve: Pour off any liquid from the radishes, add the snap peas and most of the mint, and toss with the dressing. Pile the salad onto a platter and scatter the feta, pistachios, and remaining mint over the top. Serve right away, while the vegetables are at their crispest.

Storage and leftovers

This salad is best within an hour of dressing. Leftovers keep 1 day in the refrigerator, though the snap peas soften and the radishes bleed a little pink.

To get ahead, slice the snap peas and radishes and store them separately in sealed containers lined with a paper towel for up to 2 days, and whisk the dressing up to 3 days ahead. The toasted pistachios keep a week in a jar at room temperature.

Variations

  • With cucumber: Add a thinly sliced Persian cucumber for more crunch and coolness.
  • Snow peas: Use snow peas, sliced into thin strips, in place of the snap peas.
  • Goat cheese: Crumble soft goat cheese over the top in place of the feta.
  • Blanched: For softer, brighter green peas, drop the whole pods into boiling salted water for 30 seconds, then chill them in ice water and dry them before slicing.

Notes and tips

  • Choose plump pods: Look for snap peas that are firm, glossy, and plump, with a crisp snap when you bend one.
  • Slice the radishes thin: A mandoline or a sharp knife gives thin, even coins that eat crisp and tender at once.
  • Tear the mint last: Tear the mint just before it goes in, which keeps the leaves from bruising and darkening.
  • Buy feta in brine: Feta stored in brine stays moist and creamy. Drain it and crumble it just before serving.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Snap peas are a tender, edible pod with fiber, vitamin C, and vitamin K, and RESET360 counts them as a non-starchy vegetable.
  • Radishes are a crunchy, peppery cruciferous vegetable, mostly water, that bring color and a sharp contrast to the sweet peas.
  • Olive oil, pistachios, and feta are the real fats here, and fat is what makes a vegetable salad satisfying beside a protein.
  • Mint, lemon, and scallion bring big, fresh flavor, so the salad needs only a little salt and cheese.
  • As you eat, notice the snap of each pod and the natural sweetness of fresh spring peas, and pay attention to how that sweetness satisfies on its own alongside the protein on your plate.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Mint? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Do I have to string the snap peas?

For the best texture, yes. The string along the seam stays tough even when the pod is tender. Some bags are sold already stringed, so check a pod first.

Are snap peas part of RESET360?

Yes. Snap peas are eaten as a whole, tender pod, so they count as a non-starchy vegetable, the same as snow peas and green beans. Shelled green peas are the starchy kind, and RESET360 leaves those off.

Can I make it dairy-free?

Yes. Leave off the feta and add a sliced avocado for creaminess.

What protein goes with it?

Lamb chops, salmon, roast chicken, steak, or a few soft-boiled eggs.

You might also like

Tags: May Pick, Salads, American, 30 Minutes or Less