Simple Vinaigrette – Sugar Snap Pea Salad

other recipes

Late Spring

|

30 mins

|

2 servings

Next on the syllabus of CSA Cookery 101 is simple vinaigrettes. According to my textbook from culinary school, On Cooking, “The standard ratio is three parts oil to one part vinegar” but I prefer my dressing to have a little more zip. I prefer a ratio of one part oil to one part acid. I say acid instead of vinegar because I believe in being more open minded; vinegar, pickle liquid, citrus juice or anything sour could play the role of acid. A neutral oil like sunflower or canola works best as to not overpower like olive oil might (unless maybe you want that flavor). A little sweetness helps to balance the acid (honey here, but could be anything) and mustard helps hold it all together. From there, you can add any other flavors that peak your tastebuds. This vinaigrette can be used to toss a basic greens salad, as a sauce for a sandwich, or on a veggie salad like broccoli, asparagus, or peas, in the case of this recipe.

Wide white bowl with a colorful salad of sugar snap peas, strawberry, pickled beets and pickled onion next to a poached egg on a bed of microgreens

Ingredients

from your CSA Club Share

from your pantry

  • Oil – 3 T
    • Neutral, like sunflower or canola.
  • Pickled Onion – garnish
  • Pickled Onion Liquid – 3 T
  • Mustard – 2 t
    • Brown or dijon, but any type would work.
  • Honey – 2 t
  • Sunflower Seeds (toasted) – ¼ c
  • Salt – 1 pinch

larder items

tools

  • Pint jar with lid (for mixing, not necessary)

Directions

mise

  1. Chop snap peas diagonally into ~ 1/2” pieces. Set aside in a medium-large bowl.
  2. Quarter, and then thinly slice the strawberries. Add to bowl with peas.
  3. Chop beets slices roughly into the size of the strawberry pieces, and add to the bowl with peas.
  4. Add oil, pickled onion liquid, mustard, honey, green garlic salt, and salt to a pint jar or small mixing bowl and mix (put on lid and shake if jar). Taste and adjust salt, sweet, or acid if needed.

cook

  1. Add the sunflower seeds to the veggies, pour over the dressing, and mix.

plate

Spoon the peas into bowls, garnish with pickled onion. Serve along side a poached egg, grilled chicken or seared tofu.