Barbeque season is here. We don’t have an outdoor space for grilling, so we find ourselves traveling to friends’ backyards or porches to cook outside during the summer. I’m always on the lookout for a good salad that will transport easily and taste delicious alongside some grilled meats. This salad does the trick and is nice to look at, too.
Recipes like these are why I love summer. A few months ago, there wasn’t a fresh fruit or vegetable to be found in the Midwest, and now every meal is a celebration of our bounty. This salad is refreshing and bright and a good foil to spicy foods. We made this with some amazing feta, but feel free to use ricotta salata or even a goat cheese. Hopefully, it no longer needs to be said—but salads as simple as this benefit from the best ingredients. You’ll love it so much more.
Sugar Snap Salad (adapted from Bon Appetit)
- 1 1/2 pounds sugar snap peas, trimmed, stringed, cut in half on diagonal
- Kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon white (or red) wine vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon sumac plus more for garnish
- 1 bunch radishes (about 6 ounces), trimmed, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces feta, crumbled
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint (or more or less to taste)
Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Cook peas in a large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Drain; transfer to bowl with ice water to cool. Drain peas; transfer to a kitchen towel-lined baking sheet to dry.
Whisk oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, vinegar, and 3/4 teaspoon sumac in a small bowl. Toss peas, radishes, and cheese in a large bowl. Can be made a day ahead. Cover dressing and salad separately and chill.
Add dressing to salad and toss to coat. Season salad with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice.. Garnish with mint and sprinkle with sumac.
E says:
July 11th, 2011 at 9:14 am
this reminds me of the green beans my israeli cousin makes with lots of sumac and garlic, but a fresh, summery version, which sounds great right about now. lately i’ve been loving cabbage slaws with lots of cilantro, green mango and fish sauce, there’s something about them that goes perfectly with muggy weather.
Cheryl says:
July 11th, 2011 at 9:39 am
This looks wonderful! I love sugar snap peas, and we have some cropping at the moment. I’ll have to try this for dinner this week!
Ruth says:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:44 am
I’m really into radishes at the moment – and would never have thought of this! Great salad idea!
Mary-- The Yellow Door Paperie says:
July 11th, 2011 at 10:53 am
This salad looks so delicious and fresh. I must try this after a trip to the farmers’ market!
Louise says:
July 11th, 2011 at 11:23 am
My sugar snap peas are done. :-( I’ll plant a Fall crop in a few weeks and in the meantime look for sumac.
linda says:
July 11th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
this recipe is simple, elegant & crunchy…look forward to re-creating it!
btw tim: walked the “high line nyc” yesterday & low & behold one of the vendors displayed
fany gerson’s “paletas” book & served up her mango & passion fruit ice pops! super delicious!
jordan says:
July 11th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
like ruth, i too have been all about radishes lately. i just discovered how awesome they are cooked! ugh, seriously, i think it’s an addiction. so happy i have another good excuse to eat ’em up.
Katie says:
July 11th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
This salad sounds just perfect, and I love the idea of using ricotta salata in it. I made a similar salad recently but cooked the radishes with the sugar snap peas, and I wished I had left them raw. I will be trying this soon!
Nadia says:
July 11th, 2011 at 3:29 pm
I am SO happy that you posted this today! Wouldn’t you know that at home I have sugar snap peas and a few radishes that must be consumed! I don’t have sumac, but I do have za’tar; don’t have ricotta, but do have goat cheese. i think these substitutions will work beautifully. I wouldn’t have thought to combine them all together.
Meister @ The Nervous Cook says:
July 11th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Beautiful greens against those perfect radishes. Looks like a lovely salad; I might have to draw on it as inspiration with tomorrow’s CSA bounty.
Neil Butterfield says:
July 12th, 2011 at 12:02 am
This looks awesome. I imagine it would be great with Foccacia garlic bread followed by a decent pizza with bacon, ham, onion, garlic and chili:-)
Zoe says:
July 12th, 2011 at 4:55 am
i love sugar snaps but have never really known what to do with them, other than shoving them into a stir fry. this looks delicious.
Diana @ a girl, a dog and an oven says:
July 12th, 2011 at 7:10 am
Your salad looks like summer in a bowl. Definitely going to try this for our next cookout! :-)
kari (tanglewood baked goods) says:
July 12th, 2011 at 8:23 am
sumac is the best! it’s so good on chickpeas fried with berbere and cayenne. mmm and that last photo has me hoping that summer never quits.
Mari says:
July 12th, 2011 at 7:20 pm
Hello Tim,
Just wanted you to know that someone loves your blog in Colombia! (mmm…that would be me). I love the way it is organized, it is so easy to navigate through it!!
This recipe looks amazing, I would like to ask you if you can think of any replacement for Sumac, I dont know what it tastes like and we don´t have it here.
Tim says:
July 12th, 2011 at 7:27 pm
Hi Mari- that is fantastic! I am so glad you are enjoying the blog, and am very proud to have a reader in Columbia. As for the recipe, you can just leave the sumac out. It has a tart flavor but an extra squeeze of lemon juice will easily compensate. Maybe it won’t look as pretty, but it will still be delicious!
Thanks so much for introducing yourself.
Nishta says:
July 12th, 2011 at 8:39 pm
I just made this too! Caught my eye in the latest Bon Appetit. I’ve been using sumac a lot lately, and this salad was a hit at my last book club.
Kartik @ Bakeology 101 says:
July 13th, 2011 at 10:58 am
I love sugar snap peas! Thank you Tim! I’ve been looking to diversify my repertoire of salad recipes. This looks to be a great addition.
Kee says:
July 13th, 2011 at 3:31 pm
would this be strange with snow peas? I have a ton growing in the garden. this looks great!!
Val says:
July 14th, 2011 at 5:16 am
Literally the salad I’ve been subconciously craving. Just seeing the picture of it made me realise, that’s it! Exactly what I feel like having for dinner tonight with some fresh bread. I hope I can get my hands on some sugar snap peas though.
catherine says:
July 15th, 2011 at 7:38 pm
made this one too and loved it. got the peas with our CSA and honestly didn’t think I would like it. was a real hit on our camping trip
Edith-Nicole says:
July 18th, 2011 at 8:16 am
Made this for a b-day party yesterday – substituted kohlrabi from CSA for radishes, went with the ricotta salata idea, and shelled about half the peas before parboiling. Delicious and fresh and lovely! The sumac really adds something, both flavor- and aesthetic-wise. Thanks!
Edith-Nicole says:
July 18th, 2011 at 11:10 am
P.S. Just ate day-after leftovers and it’s still super good. A little more marinated and vinegary, but wonderful. Double thanks, Tim!
lynn @ the actor's diet says:
July 19th, 2011 at 9:08 am
beautiful! these are 2 ingredients i didn’t like as a kid but am still learning to appreciate now.
Batya says:
July 21st, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Looks fresh, seasonal and tasty! I’ve been looking for another way to use sugar snap peas– though I think I only have a few weeks left….another great post Tim!
Connie says:
July 22nd, 2011 at 9:49 am
made this the other day and LOVED it….so refreshing!
molly says:
July 25th, 2011 at 2:33 am
yes, yes, yes!!
now, where are our midwestern sugar snaps…
Swigs and Grinds says:
August 2nd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Loving this recipe, but also… dang, that is a CUTE knife!
Cheers,
H
Deborah (Snackers Delight) says:
February 11th, 2012 at 10:50 pm
This recipe sounds and looks so clean, I can hardly wait to try it. Peas and Radishes always make me think of summer…and it is burr here. Thanks for sharing! :D
Rosi says:
February 25th, 2012 at 12:56 am
My favorite salad…thank you for this. I serve it on top of a couple handfuls of arugula.
Chris says:
May 15th, 2012 at 10:43 am
I found this recipe on Pinterest and it looks so fresh and wonderful, I had to pin it! I think I’ll make it to take along when I visit my parents this week. A summmery, fresh salad sounds perfect for the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having in Washington for the past few days!