This healthy pea salad with mint and radishes is shockingly delicious. Its vibrant color and flavor masks the simplicity of frozen peas as the main ingredient. With only a handful of ingredients combined to make a healthy and tasty salad this one is perfect for Spring and Summer gatherings. It's vegan, gluten free and full of fiber but what makes it really pop is the lemon, dijon and mint dressing and the added crunch of pistachios is a lovely surprise.
What is a healthy pea salad?
A healthy pea salad is made with good for you ingredients like green peas and seasonal vegetables. These salad recipes skip the heavy mayo dressing, and instead opt for flavorful and healthier sauces like vinaigrette or yogurt to make it taste good.
Pea salads are a Spring classic because of the green hue. Plus they are often combined with Spring produce like radishes, onions and mint. Since peas are a frozen vegetable, this salad is quite budget and pantry friendly
Why you'll love this healthy pea salad with radishes and mint
- Short ingredients list
- Easy to make
- Minimal to no cooking involved
- Easy blender dressing
- Vegan and gluten free
- High in fiber, iron and protein
- Lots of texture variety
- Colorful, impressive presentation
- Great side dish at Spring gatherings or BBQs
- Light yet filling
- Great meal prep salad. Tastes even better the next day after marinating.
Peas Tip
Leave your frozen peas in the refrigerator overnight to thaw them safely. No need to cook them, they will retain their bright green hue much better when simply defrosted.
Healthy Pea Salad Ingredients
This salad recipe has a very short ingredients list.
- Green Peas: Frozen green peas make up the bulk of this simple salad
- Radishes: Earthy, peppery radishes taste amazing marinated in the dressing
- Red Onion: These onions lend a spicy bite that mellows after marinating for a few hours
- Pistachios: These fragrant green nuts go great with the color scheme and have a great crunchy texture. For nut allergy, substitute pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- Mint: Chopped fresh mint get's mixed into the salad as well as blended into the dressing for a punch of freshness
- Lemon Juice and Dijon Mustard- add a citrus acidity and tang to the dressing
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil- gives the dressing a silky mouthfeel
- Pure Maple Syrup- Balances the tang of the dressing with a little bit of natural sweetness
- Salt
Olive Oil tip: Always choose the best olive oil that you can afford for salads. It is well worth the money for the extra flavor a good quality, single sourced extra virgin olive oil adds to the dressing. Look for descriptives like cold-pressed or robust, a quality seal and a dark or opaque container.
How to Make Healthy Pea Salad
This is a super easy recipe that comes together quickly. It's beginner friendly and with no cooking involved, it's great for a hot day.
- First, make the dressing in a high speed blender by pureeing mint, dijon, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and maple syrup until smooth.
- Next add the ingredients to a salad bowl: peas, onions, radishes, pistachios and chopped mint.
- Pour the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy.
Tips for Making the Best Healthy Pea Salad
- Let it marinate. This salad is at its peak flavor for 2-12 hours after making it. The radishes and onions are really special once they soak in the dressing overnight!
- Get creative! Add extra roasted veggies like broccoli, cauliflower or zucchini.
- Substitute to your hearts content! No radishes? Use carrots. You don't love onions? Use milder chives or scallions.
- Want more protein? Add some white beans or cubed tofu or even vegan feta cheese or goat cheese.
FAQs
Yes! This is one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day. The onions and radishes pickle in the dressing making them way more flavorful.
This Spring salad recipe is great for an Easter spread or an early season BBQ as a side dish. It will also go well with dips like hummus, muhammara or eggplant salad.
You can leave them out or sub them with sunflower seeds or pipits to keep the crunchy bits that make this salad so compelling.
That is tough. While I believe that this salad is incredibly tasty, if you really hate peas, it may not be for you!
I use pure maple syrup as a sweetener for dressings because I like the flavor better than sugar. But also, the liquid sweetener is better because you don't need to wait for it to dissolve.
Other Delicious Healthy Salad Recipes
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Healthy Pea Salad with Radishes and Mint
Ingredients
- 2 pounds frozen peas thawed
- 6 radishes sliced thin
- ½ red onion sliced very thin
- 10 mint leaves chiffonade
- ½ cup pistachios chopped
For Dressing
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 10 mint leaves
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Make the dressing by combining extra virgin olive oil, lemon, dijon mustard, pure maple syrup, mint and salt in a high speed blender and blend until smooth.
- To a salad bowl add the peas, radishes, red onions, mint leaves and pistachios.
- Pour the dressing over the top and toss until well combined.
- Enjoy within 3 days for the best taste and quality.
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