Snap Pea Salad Recipe—Perfect for Picnics!

In my crusade for salads that don’t use leafy greens, I present to you my latest obsession: snap pea salad. With the bright and beautiful summertime Chicago weather, I’m spending a lot of time on the lakefront. For this, I bring whatever book I’m reading that week (currently it’s Real Americans by Rachel Khong), a sketchpad for mindless doodling, a water bottle, and an easy-to-pack snack or meal. What’s better than securing a perfect spot by the water and basking for a few hours in the sunny heat? Nothing—and for that, you have to be prepared!

My rules for packable picnic-style meals are simple. They must be made ahead (i.e., I don’t have to assemble anything as I head out the door), they must taste just as good cold as they would at room temperature, and they must be satisfying. This snap pea salad checks all those boxes and more.

Snap Pea Salad Ingredients

This recipe is so simple. It’s a culmination of all the best parts of spring and early summer ingredients, dressed up to highlight their flavors.

• Sugar snap peas. Crunchy and sweet, these are the base of our salad.
• Cucumbers. Cukes are perfect in this salad, adding a crisp and refreshing element to the mix.
• Peas. You can use frozen and thawed or fresh, but I love the sweet bursts of flavor. Plus, peas are a hidden gem for adding protein.
• White beans. These are optional, but I like finding creative ways to add plant-based protein for a satiating salad.
• Herbs. A lot of herbs. Think soft, tender herbs like chives, mint, and dill.
• Goat cheese. Creamy and tangy, this is one of my favorite cheese options.
• Feta. Another protein source that adds a punchy and salty bite.
• Whole grain mustard. Just a little bit 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 honey acts as a nice balance to the salty feta, helping bring everything together.
• Olive oil. Only the good stuff.

Assembly and Storage Tips

Because this is a simple salad, we want to ensure that we get the most from each ingredient. Follow these tips and tricks for a foolproof, flavor-packed salad.

• Blend the cheeses. You could technically just crumble the feta and goat cheese straight into the salad, but I love blending them in the food processor for a creamy, almost dressing-like texture. It looks beautiful with a big swoosh of the cheese spread on the bottom of your platter. Alternatively, you can toss the vegetables and blended cheese together, giving every crunchy veg an extra-creamy coating. It’s totally up to you.
• Prepare veggies to be the same size. With chopped salads like this, to ensure you get everything in one bite, it’s important to cut everything to be the same size. I like to slice the snap peas on the diagonal, and slice my cucumbers to be the same size. Depending on the cucumbers, sometimes that means keeping them in rounds, or slicing the rounds in half. I also recommend chopping all of the herbs extra fine so that you get plenty of flavor in each bite.
• Prep and store the veggies with the dressing. If you’re making this salad ahead of time, chop all the veggies and toss them with the mustard dressing first. This lets the dressing marinate everything while it sits, and then add the cheese just before serving. This salad will also stay fine in the fridge for a day or two with the cheese added.

How to Upgrade This Snap Pea Salad

I’ll be honest—in the summer months, it’s very easy for me to eat this salad every meal straight for several days. And while it’s packed with nutrients, there are a few tips and tricks I keep up my sleeve to help make it a satisfying, stand-alone meal.

• Add pasta and make it a pasta salad. I love orzo or macaroni noodles with this one. Toss the cooled pasta with the blended goat cheese and feta to coat all the noodles, then add the veggies. It becomes almost like a mayo-free pasta salad that is still extra fresh and crunchy thanks to the vegetables.
• Add avocado. We already have the creamy element with the cheese, but tossing in some avocado amplifies it all the more. (Not to mention, the avocado adds some healthy fats to the mix). If you want to make this salad dairy-free, simply swap out your cheese with the avocado.
• Serve on toast. I’m always looking for fun ways to dress up a slice of toast. Spread the goat cheese onto a crunchy piece of bread and pile on the chopped salad. You could also use cottage cheese, mashed white beans, or avocado, and add the veggies on top.

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

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