This Snap Pea Salad Is Crunchy, Colorful, and Everything We Love About Summer Produce

in my crusade salad For a salad that doesn’t use leafy greens, I present to you my latest obsession: snap pea salad. With the bright and beautiful summer weather in Chicago, I’ve been spending a lot of time by the lake. For this, I bring along whatever book I’m reading that week (currently this is Real American by Rachel Khong), a sketchpad for drawing random things, a water bottle, and easy-to-pack snacks or food. What could be better than securing a perfect spot by the water and relaxing for a few hours in the warmth of the sun? Nothing – and for that, you have to be prepared!

My rules for packables Picnic Style The meals are simple. They have to be made in advance (i.e., I don’t have to assemble anything on my way out the door), they have to taste just as good cold as they would at room temperature, and they have to be satisfying. This snap pea salad ticks all of those boxes and more.

Snap Pea Salad Ingredients

This recipe is so simple. It combines all the best ingredients of spring and early summer, cooked to bring out their flavors.

• Pea. Crunchy and sweet, they are the base of our salad.
• Cucumbers. Cucumbers are perfect for this salad, adding crunch and freshness to the mix.
• Pea. You can use frozen and thawed or fresh, but I love the sweet burst of flavor. Also, peas are a hidden gem that makes this even more delicious. Protein,
• White beans. These are optional, but I love finding creative ways to incorporate plant-based proteins for a satisfying salad.
• Herb. Lots of herbs. Think soft, tender herbs like chives, mint, and dill.
• goat cheese. Creamy and tangy, this is one of my favorite paneer options.
• Feta. Another protein source that tastes tangy and salty.
• whole grain mustard. A small amount goes a long way, but it adds a nice flavor to the salad.
• Lemon juice. More is more (and in this case, better).
• Honey. A little bit of honey serves as a nice balance to the salty feta, and helps bring everything together.
• olive oil. Only good things.

Assembly and Storage Tips

Since this is a simple salad, we want to make sure we get the most out of each ingredient. Follow these tips and tricks for a delicious, flavorful salad.

• Blend the cheese. Technically you can add the feta and goat cheese directly to the salad, but I like to blend them in the food processor for a creamy, almost dressing-like texture. It looks beautiful with big chunks of cheese spread across the bottom of your platter. Alternatively, you can mix the vegetables and mixed cheese together, giving each crisp vegetable an extra creamy coating. It’s completely up to you.
• Keep the vegetables of the same size. With chopped salads like this, it’s important to chop everything the same size to make sure you get everything in one bite. I like to chop snap peas on the diagonal, and cut my cucumbers the same size. Depending on the cucumber, sometimes that means slicing them into rounds, or cutting rounds in half. I also recommend chopping all the herbs extra fine so you get plenty of flavor in every bite.
• Prepare and store the vegetables with the dressing. If you are making this salad in advance, chop all the vegetables and mix them with the mustard dressing first. This will let the dressing marinate everything and then add the cheese just before serving. After adding the cheese, this salad will stay good in the fridge for a day or two.

How to Upgrade This Snap Pea Salad

I’ll be honest – in the summer months, it Very It’s easy for me to eat this salad for every meal for several days. And while it’s packed with nutrients, there are a few tips and tricks I keep on hand to help make it a satisfying, stand-alone meal.

• Add pasta to it and make pasta saladI love orzo or macaroni noodles with this. Mix the cold pasta with the blended goat cheese and feta so all the noodles are coated, then add the veggies. It becomes almost like a mayo-free pasta salad that is still extra fresh and crisp thanks to the veggies.
• Add avocado. The creamy element is already there with cottage cheese, but adding some avocado takes it even further. (Not to mention, the avocado adds some healthy fats to the mix as well.) If you want to make this salad dairy-free, use avocado in place of the cottage cheese.
• Serve on toast. I’m always looking for fun ways to dress up a piece of toast. Spread goat cheese on a piece of crusty bread and top with shredded lettuce. You can also use cottage cheese, mashed white beans or avocado and top with veggies.

Let us know how you serve this snap pea salad. We’ll be eating it all summer long!

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