Snow Peas Recipe

Snow Peas are super versatile. They can be enjoyed raw as a fresh snack, in salads, used in stir fry's or cooked on their own as a side dish. I make this Snow Peas Recipe often, it's simple, flavorful and easy to customize.

This quick and easy snow peas recipe is fabulous served alongside beef, pork, lamb, poultry or seafood. You can even add cubed tofu to it and create a vegetarian meal.

What are Snow Peas?

• Known for their bright green pods, crisp sweet flavor and ease of preparation, Snow Peas are wonderful to use in recipes or to enjoy on their own as a side dish or light snack.
• Not to be confused with its "cousin" the snap pea, snow peas are flatter and a little less sweet.
• Snow Peas make an amazing low calorie side dish recipe.

How to prep Snow Peas

• All you need to do is give snow peas a soak or a rinse.
• Then cut off just the tip of either end and pull off the string. Some people don't care about pulling the strings of the pea pod off, however, depending on the age of the vegetable, it will make for a more tender eating experience.
• After that, enjoy snow peas raw, blanch, add to a stir fry, soup or sauté them as shown here.

Snow Peas are easy to grow as well, making them a fabulous garden veggie to plant and enjoy in a variety of ways once harvested. Growing up I just loved picking them and eating them on the spot! They are a cool weather crop and frost tolerant which I love, so when most of your garden is finished for the season, snow peas are something you can still harvest and enjoy.

Recipes Snow Peas

• Salads - The addition of snow peas to most salads adds crunch, a little sweetness and a pop of color. I especially enjoy them in a salad with Asian flavors like my favorite Asian Noodle Salad or this lovely and light Snow Peas Salad.
• Pasta - The addition of snow peas to a simple pasta dish give it a pretty pop of color and crunch or as part of a Pasta Primavera. Cut on the bias in half or thirds or leave whole.
• Stir Fry - Add to a beef, pork, chicken or tofu stir fry. I like adding them to my Mongolian Beef (I need to post that recipe!!), similar to this Crispy Beef with Snow Peas.
• Curry - A delicious addition to many curry recipes.
• This simple Sautéed Snow Peas Recipe pairs fabulous plated alongside, under or atop pan fried f or baked fish, seared scallops or seared shrimp. Simple, light and amazing pairing. Or try this eay Shrimp and Snow Peas recipe.

Sautéed Snow Peas Ingredients

• Fresh Ingredients - snow peas, fresh lemon and fresh garlic
• Pantry staples - avocado/olive oil, red pepper flakes, S&P

Variations

• For buttery flavor, drop a ½ TBS or so of butter in the last minute of cooking.
• Swap black pepper for white pepper for a slightly different flavor. White pepper has an earthier flavor.
• Add in some chopped or sliced sweet (Vidalia) onion. Add them before the peas and either caramelize or give them a quick sauté till translucent.
• Instead of avocado or olive oil, add in sesame oil and fresh grated or minced ginger, ginger paste or even ginger powder for an Asian flair. Then garnish with sesame seeds.
• You can also add a splash of soy sauce for additional flavor, similar to these Asian Style Green Beans.

Tips

• Don't overcook your snow peas, they only need 3-4 minutes to cook. They are best crisp-tender in my opinion.
• As with any fast cooking recipe, get everything you need out and ready to go before beginning to cook.

Enjoy! XO - Colleen

Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes to try