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Why I Love This Spring Pea Salad
I am a lifelong defender of a good salad. A good salad is not the salad I was raised on. I grew up with a salad being a part of most meals, but usually, they consisted of boring bottled dressing that drowned out any other flavor. The boring salads are often relegated to the “healthy” option and overlooked with the rest of the meal.
Enter this spring pea salad with a crunchy nut topping. This recipe is pushing all other salads aside and is taking center stage. The idea centers around a traditional Midwestern pea salad with peas and a mayonnaise-based dressing. This recipe takes the best ingredients of that salad and makes it fresh and exciting. The dressing has some mayonnaise but is balanced with fresh herbs and lemon juice. The peas are tossed with fresh greens and a crisp, crunchy topping that will change how salads are viewed.
Spring Pea Salad Ingredients
- Marcona almonds may not be a standard pantry item, but they should be. They have a higher fat content than traditional almonds, giving a richer, butterier flavor.
- Frozen peas are an easy way to enjoy fresh-tasting peas without any work. Peas are blanched and par-cooked before freezing, so no cooking is needed. Simply remove them from the freezer and allow them to thaw before using.
- Hard-boiled eggs are a great way to add protein and texture to a salad. For a perfect hard boil, start eggs in cool water and bring them to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn off the heat, and allow them to cook for 12 minutes.
- Fresh lettuce is essential for a good crisp texture. Use a leafy romaine for a sturdy green that can hold up to the dressing and peas.
- Dill and parsley add fresh flavor to the dressing. The herbs lend almost a ranch-like flavor but with more of a fresh edge.
How to Make Spring Pea Salad
Step 1: Prepare the crunchy topping – In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Chop the Marcona almonds into small pieces. Once the butter is melted, add the almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, honey, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything together and let it toast. After 4-6 minutes, the mixture should be golden. Remove it from the heat and pour it onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool completely.
Step 2: Prepare the dressing – In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, minced dill, minced parsley, shallot, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until well combined.
Step 3: Assemble the salad – In a large serving platter, rip the lettuce into large pieces. Add some of the salad dressing and toss the lettuce to coat it. Sprinkle the frozen and thawed peas on top of the lettuce, along with the sliced hard-boiled eggs and crumbled feta cheese. Finish with the crunchy nut topping. Serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- When choosing nuts for the crunchy nut topping, note whether they are roasted and salted. If you purchase salted nuts, leave out the added salt in the topping recipe. Once the nuts are toasted and removed from the heat, taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Once the dressing has been mixed together, taste it for flavoring! Use a bit of the lettuce to sample the dressing, checking for salt and acidity levels.
- Rather than adding the salad dressing at the very end, add it in layers. After the lettuce has been added, drizzle with some of the dressing. Toss the lettuce to make sure it is coated. Then add more salad dressing at the end to balance everything out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, regular almonds can be used. Marcona almonds are always purchased toasted, whereas regular almonds can be purchased roasted or raw. Use roasted regular almonds.
The items should be pre-roasted. The mixture quickly cooks with a glaze on the stove but does not have enough time to toast the items.
Like any salad, once dressed, it is best consumed immediately. Over time, the dressing will wilt and break down the greens, and the crunchy topping will soften.
Fresh, crisp romaine is the best lettuce. It is sturdy and will stand up to the heavy toppings and dressing used.
More Salad Recipes
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Spring Pea Salad with Crunchy Nut Topping
Ingredients
For the crunchy nut topping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ cup Marcona almonds chopped
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- 1-2 large heads romaine lettuce washed and dried
- 1 ½ cups frozen and thawed peas
- 4 large hard-boiled eggs sliced
- 4 ounces feta cheese
Instructions
- Make the crunchy nut topping: Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, honey, salt, and black pepper. Stir the mixture together and cook, turning the heat down as needed to ensure the mixture doesn't burn. Cook until the mixture clumps together and the skillet looks dry, 4-6 minutes. Pour the mixture onto parchment paper and let cool.1 tablespoon unsalted butter, ½ cup Marcona almonds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon honey, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, Dijon mustard, dill, parsley, shallot, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.½ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons minced fresh dill, 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon minced shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Assemble: Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and toss with the preferred amount of dressing. Add the peas over the greens, sprinkle with the prepared eggs, and add more dressing as needed. Top with crumbled feta and the prepared nut mixture. Serve immediately.1-2 large heads romaine lettuce, 1 ½ cups frozen and thawed peas, 4 large hard-boiled eggs, 4 ounces feta cheese
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I made this on Sunday for dinner with my family—children and grandchildren. They couldn’t get enough of it! My son-in-law actually said he could just skip the rest of the dinner. Bonus: I converted this to a layered salad (romaine, eggs, feta, peas with dressing covering the top and made it hours ahead, reserving the nut brittle until ready to serve.
I’d like to know where I can find this wooden salad fork/spoon combination? They’re not an overly big set and I like that feature.
Peas!! 🫛 Loved this salad! 🥗
I made this for a family get together with relatives who openly say they don’t like vegetables and don’t really care about salad. They loved it! Almost everyone took a second serving. Just delicious and will be making it again soon.