Ooooh, we’re gettin’ fancy over here! This week I splurged on a fresh herb other than my usual parsley or cilantro (the cheap ones) so I could make this fabulous Minty Pea Salad. I paid a hefty $1.99 for a clamshell of mint, but I know it would be well-used and very appreciated. While it’s common for mint to be used in sweet dishes, it also provides a uniquely fresh flavor when paired with savory ingredients. Mint takes the springlike quality of these green peas to a whole new level. Plus, the cool refreshing herbal flavor was the perfect juxtaposition to the spicy Curried Potatoes with Poached Eggs that I served the peas with.
But here’s the cool thing about mint: it grows like crazy with practically no effort at all. Plant that stuff in your yard and you can pretty much ignore it. Come back a month later that will have spread like wildfire. I haven’t had a chance to set up herbs at my new house yet, though, so I had to buy it instead. If you don’t want to buy it, chances are you know someone who grows it and I’m willing to bet they have way too much of it. So it’s worth asking around.
I only used half the clamshell of mint for the Minty Pea Salad, but using up leftovers is easy. It’s awesome in water (with cucumber or lemon), tea, lemonade, or mojitos! I’ve actually started putting it into my smoothies, too. Mmmm
But the peas! The mint in this Minty Pea Salad is so fresh and spring-like — it’s amazing. A light lemon and shallot vinaigrette keeps things from getting too sweet and adds a little freshness of its own.
Minty Pea Salad
Servings 4 (3/4 cup each)Ingredients
- 1 lb. frozen peas ($1.59)
- 1 fresh lemon ($0.75)
- 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 Tbsp) ($0.22)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.01)
- Freshly cracked pepper ($0.05)
- 3-4 sprigs fresh mint ($1.00)
Instructions
- Let the peas thaw in a colander to allow excess moisture to drain away. Rinsing briefly with cool water will expedite the thawing process.
- While the peas are thawing, prepare the lemon and shallot vinaigrette. Zest the lemon using a zester or a small holed cheese grater. Be sure to scrape off just the yellow zest and none of the bitter white pith. Set the zest aside, then squeeze about 2 tablespoons of the juice into a separate bowl.
- Peel the dry, papery skin from the shallot, then mince it finely. Add it to the bowl with the lemon juice, along with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper (5-10 cranks of a pepper mill). Whisk the ingredients together until combined, then set aside.
- Rinse the mint to remove any dirt or debris. Pull the leaves from the stems and then slice into thin strips (or chop roughly).
- Add the thawed peas to a large bowl along with the vinaigrette, mint, and a hefty pinch of the lemon zest. Stir to combine, then taste and add more zest if desired. Serve immediately, or refrigerate to allow the flavors to blend.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Minty Pea Salad – Step by Step Photos
Start with one pound of frozen green peas. It’s like Cinderella how this humble vegetable turns into such an elegant dish.
Thaw the peas in a colander so any excess moisture can drain away. Rinsing the peas briefly with water will make them thaw very quickly.
While the peas are thawing, begin preparing the lemon and shallot vinaigrette. Remove the zest from the lemon with a zester or a small-holed cheese grater. Squeeze about 2 Tbsp of the juice into a separate bowl.
This is a shallot, or half of a shallot, actually. They’re slightly bigger than a bulb of garlic, are purple, and have a brownish outer skin. Their flavor is much milder than garlic or onion and is slightly sweet. This mild flavor makes them perfect for vinaigrettes and dressings where garlic or fresh onion would overpower. I only needed a small amount, so I just tore this piece off of one (they kind of have two lobes, whereas garlic has several lobes/cloves). Shallots can be kind of pricy per pound, but luckily they’re small and you may be able to, as in my case, just take half. You only need about 2 Tbsp once minced.
Combine the minced shallot, lemon juice, 2 Tbsp of olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a bowl.
Whisk them together until combined. Set the vinaigrette aside.
Now it’s time for the mint. I used about 3-4 sprigs (or half of this 0.75oz. clamshell). The amount of mint you use is flexible, so don’t stress about it. Rinse the mint to make sure there is no dirt or bugs.
Pull the leaves off the stems, then slice them into thin strips (or just chop them roughly if you don’t care about being fancy).
Finally, combine the thawed peas, mint, vinaigrette, and some of the zest (I just used a large pinch, maybe a teaspoon?) in a large bowl.
Mix the ingredients together and give the salad a taste. You can add more zest, mint, or salt if needed. While the salad tastes great immediately, I found the flavor to be a bit smoother after refrigerating for a while.
And now you have a super elegant side dish made from a simple bag of frozen peas (and some leftover mint to make mojitos, woot!).
Wow, this is so yummy! I’ve been following your blog religiously since I’ve been trying to be more money conscious and I’ve made several dishes. I keep forgetting to comment, so since I made this delicious salad last night (and am eating it at my desk now), it’s on the forefront of my mind.
I was searching through your archives yesterday, hoping to find a mint recipe to use up a giant wad of mint that’s run wild in the garden and this recipe was perfect! I omitted the shallot because I’m not a huge fan of the onion-y taste and unfortunately didn’t have a fresh lemon, so I subbed it out for bottled lemon juice, but the salad is super tasty regardless! I am hoping to beat my boyfriend home from work so I can eat the rest of it :)
Yum…thanks for an incredibly simple and delicious recipe! Will definitely make again…would be great for a potluck:)
This recipe was amazing! So fresh and flavorful! I made it as a side for pizza and soup and it was a hit, even with my former-chef husband. He liked it so much that he used it as a garnish on a soup in a meal he served the next day! Thanks Beth!
Peas are my favorite and this sounds like a wonderful, light spring/summer salad. I can grow mint at altitude, but it is still covered just now by snow.
I need to try this! I have tons of mint growing in pots on my deck. I keep them in pots, because if I put them in the garden, they will take it over!
This is yum-city; I admire your way with flavor combinations! Usually avoid the peas or even pick them out and put them on the side of the plate but something about the mint and lemon and shallots caught my attention. Easy to make and a hit all around, thank you!
I made this last night and it was easy and delicious and I have some leftover for today. I thought I would not like the texture of the peas because I don’t like the texture of cooked frozen peas, but I was surprised. They had some substance to them. And the mint and dressing are lovely; tastes very spring-y:) Great veggie dish to add to the rotation!
This flavor combination is ideal. I love everything about it. Well done. :D
Yes! I buy a mint plant from Walmart every spring, pot it on my kitchen windowsill, and keep it trimmed, using it all summer in mojitos and other stuff. By the end of the summer it starts to get a little leggy and the soil is “used up” so I toss it. A better gardener would probably keep it alive all year, but for me, buying a new one from the veggies area of Walmart every year is pretty cheap and it works!
Was about to comment how easy it is to “grow” (more let it expand) mint for free, but then I kept reading and you mentioned it :)
Beside asking people for it, you can also find it into the wild. Just look out for it when out for a walk, it likes to grow on exposed sunny spots, drywalls and rocks. Please do use a container as other suggest, or your garden will be taken over. I also dry it and keep it for herbal tea mixes I then give as a gift.
I agree with Eric. You really should plant some mint in a pot, not in the ground, because it’s super easy to grow and cheap! I used some of mine last night in Morrocan stuffed peppers. Chives is another’s herb that doesn’t take much effort, they come back every year, and you can plant them in the ground. Investing in just a few plants will save you a bunch. If you end up with too much, you can dry your own too! The chives will freeze well in a ziplock bag. I grow oregano, thyme, sage and Rosemary every year.
Because mint as a plant is invasive, it is generally recommended not to plant in your yard. It will take over and most regret it. But, a large container will do it well.
Pea and mint is really good atop goats or feta cheese as a bruschetta topping. Try it! Or use in a risotto.
If you like mint consider purchasing a small plant, it grows like a weed with little attention. I find myself using it in many asian style dishes.
Never thought i’d actually say this but…
those minty peas actually look really good!