Spring Pea Salad with Crunchy Nut Topping
Since salads are not as prevalent during the winter, having a fresh and healthy option when spring rolls around is so welcome! This spring pea salad with hardboiled eggs, creamy homemade dressing, and crunchy nut topping is everything a new season should highlight. And the best part is that it’s fully customizable, so any desired toppings can be swapped in to taste.
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
For the crunchy nut topping
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ cup Marcona almonds chopped
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 3 tbsp buttermilk
- 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp minced fresh dill
- 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp 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 oz feta cheese
Instructions
For the crunchy nut topping
- Melt the butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.1 tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the almonds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, honey, salt, and 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.½ cup Marcona almonds, ¼ cup sunflower seeds, 2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp honey, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Pour the mixture onto parchment paper and let cool.
For 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 tbsp buttermilk, 1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard, 2 tbsp minced fresh dill, 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley, 1 tbsp minced shallot, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, ¼ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
For the salad
- Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and toss with the preferred amount of the 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 oz feta cheese
Video
Notes
- 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.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 442kcal