80 minutes
A refreshing and vibrant salad featuring fresh peas, red onion, and mint, dressed with red wine vinaigrette.
1. Prepare Ingredients
Gather all your ingredients and prepare them as specified. Shell the peas if you haven't already, ensuring you have about 2 cups of fresh peas. Dice the red onion into small, pea-sized pieces to create a uniform texture in your salad. Tear the mint leaves into pieces that are easy to bite into, about 2-3 pieces each.
2. Mix Salad Ingredients
In a medium bowl, combine the fresh peas, diced red onion, and torn mint leaves. Drizzle the red wine vinaigrette over the mixture. Toss everything together gently until the peas, onion, and mint are evenly coated in the vinaigrette.
3. Season the Salad
Season the salad with a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and a good amount of coarsely ground black pepper.
4. Let Salad Meld
For the best flavor, let the salad stand at room temperature for about an hour. This resting time allows the ingredients to meld together, creating a more harmonious taste. If you're preparing the salad ahead of time, you can refrigerate it for up to a day, but remember to bring it back to room temperature before serving to enjoy its full flavor.
Source the freshest peas during spring for natural sweetness and tender texture. If fresh peas are not available, opt for high-quality frozen peas and defrost properly.
Blanch fresh peas briefly in salted boiling water to enhance color and sweetness while maintaining a crunch. Shock in ice water to preserve color.
Use mint sparingly, balance it with acidic elements like lemon juice, and add a touch of honey or sugar to balance the acidity.
Create a light, emulsified dressing with olive oil, lemon zest, and juice. Add a small amount of Dijon mustard for emulsification and depth.
Incorporate crunchy elements such as chopped radishes, cucumbers, or toasted nuts to contrast the tender peas.
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