This vibrant snow peas recipe is bursting with flavor. Crunchy pea pods are blanketed with classic French mirepoix, cool mint, and a pinch of chili flakes. It's a fast fresh alternative when you want to switch things up from the usual Chinese-style stir-fried peas.
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🏆 Top tip
Cooking snow peas requires precision, as they cook rapidly. Don't be afraid to set a timer as soon they hit the pan to avoid overcooking. I like to taste them after one minute and recommend cooking a maximum of 2-3 minutes.
⭐ Why it works
- Change up from ordinary stir-fried recipes. A new way to enjoy fresh, crisp garden peas at peak season.
- Mirepoix - a soft, caramelized mixture of onion, celery, and carrot fried in olive oil.
- Fast and easy - one-pan recipe ready from prep to finish in 20 minutes.
📋 Ingredients
- Snow peas - choose fresh, crisp pods with a bright color. The peas inside should be small, juicy, and sweet rather than starchy or tough.
- Celery, carrot, and onion - this trio makes up the classic French flavoring base known as mirepoix, delicious in this snow peas recipe.
- Sweet red pepper - adds a pop of color and plays well in the medley.
- Fresh mint - adds a unique and refreshing component to the savory flavors. You can substitute fresh basil or cilantro for a different flavor twist.
- Olive oil - caramelizes and deepens the richness of the mirepoix.
- Red chili flake - is optional. Adjust the amount to your taste.
🔪 Steps
- Prep peas by trimming and removing strings.
- Dice vegetables and slice mint.
- Saute mirepoix in olive oil until tender; then add red pepper and cook briefly.
- Stir in pea pods, cook briefly, and finish with chili flakes and mint.
🔪 How to prepare snow peas
Did you know that snow peas go by the name mangetout in France? It's a fitting moniker because it translates as "eat it all." Indeed, the whole pod with the budding peas inside is meant to be eaten.
However, without careful attention to trimming, you can end up with a disappointingly fibrous mouthful when you're settling down to enjoy your colorful side dish.
Fortunately, the trimming task is easy, and if your flat pea pods are super fresh or very young, like the ones shown here with petal-capped ends, you may only find a few strings here or there to remove.
This happens to me with most of the snow peas I grow in my garden. They are a rewarding plant to grow between November and May on Maui and in both the early spring and fall in cooler locations like the mainland U.S.
I hope you'll get a chance to plant a few seeds yourself. You can even have the fun of eating Snow Pea Leaves when you grow your own.
Here's the trimming technique:
- Take a small paring knife and notch it into the curved end of a pod and slice down towards the straighter edge lined with peas. Stop before slicing all the way through and cutting the string.
- Pull the string away from the pod by holding it between your thumb and the knife blade.
- Repeat on the opposite side of the pea pod.
- If there aren't any strings, all you need to do is nip off the very ends of the pods.
- Slice larger pods diagonally in half crosswise so they will cook as fast as the smaller ones.
There you have it! Even though it may seem like a small detail, you'll be very happy you took the time with the snow pea pods that needed it since it can make or break your recipe.
♨️ Cooking snow peas
For this snow peas recipe, the freshly trimmed pods are added at the very end. They cook in a flash, turning bright green, and retain their lovely crisp texture while becoming sweeter.
It's a shame when a batch of beautiful, once-perky, flat peas turns mushy, limp, tasteless, or dull grey-green due to overcooking. Don't let it happen to you.
Whether you want to enjoy them shabu-style with Black Rice and Sesame Sauce or in Spicy Indian Sambar, keep the cooking time brief when cooking peas.
Here are some methods to keep your precious veggie crisp, flavorful, and vibrant in any recipe.
- Sauté - Preheat a shallow skillet with oil or vegan ghee and cook peas pods over high heat for 1-2 minutes until they turn emerald green and slightly tender. Season as desired.
- Stir-fry - Heat a wok or pan with oil on medium-high heat and fry other ingredients like vegan protein and vegetables until tender-crisp. Turn up the heat, add snow peas, and stir for one minute. Then add sauce and finish cooking another minute or two until they are coated.
- Steam - Place snow peas in a steamer basket or colander over boiling water and steam for 2-3 minutes until they no longer taste raw and the color has deepened.
- Boil - Add to soups or stews when all the other ingredients are fully cooked. Cook for 45 seconds to 2 minutes and remove from heat. Serve immediately.
- Blanch - Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add snow peas. Cook for 1-2 minutes until they turn bright green, then immediately transfer them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and use in recipes as desired.
👩🏻🍳 Expert tips
- Buy the freshest produce you can for this snow peas recipe. Ideally, they will have tiny, flat peas inside, a bright color, and will snap when you bend them.
- Trim strings from all the pods that need it before cooking. It's worth your time.
- Cook carrots and celery until softening before adding onion and sweet pepper.
- Add snow peas last, and don't be afraid to use a timer to prevent over-cooking. It may sound excessive, but I am always glad I did!
💭 FAQ
Snow peas are also commonly called Chinese pea pods and mangetout. Their botanical classification is Pisum sativum var. macrocarpum which makes them unique from other pea pods eaten whole. You can distinguish them by their flat, thin-walled pods with tiny immature seeds inside. They are best eaten raw or cooked very briefly, seasoned with aromatics and a light dressing of oil.
While it may not be necessary to trim the most tender snow pea pods that are free of strings, it is essential for older pods that have noticeable strings. These strings can be so fibrous they are unpleasant to chew and will ruin an otherwise tasty dish.
Mirepoix is a classic French cooking technique and refers to a mixture of diced onions, carrots, and celery. The mixture is sauteed together in fat before adding other ingredients. It's typically used as a base to add richness and depth of flavor to soups, stews, sauces, and braises.
🍲 More recipes with snow peas
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📖 Recipe
Snow Peas Recipe - Mirepoix, Chili & Mint
Ingredients
- 1 TB olive oil
- ½ cup carrots ¼-inch dice
- ½ cup celery ¼-inch dice
- ½ cup yellow onion ¼-inch dice
- ¼ cup red pepper ¼-inch dice
- 3 cups snow peas trimmed, strings removed
- ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup mint leaves sliced
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Trim snow pea pods, remove strings, and measure out 3 cups snow peas. See the recipe notes below for full instructions on removing strings.
- Dice ½ cup carrots, ½ cup celery, ½ cup yellow onion, and ¼ cup red pepper in ¼-inch pieces.
- Heat 1 TB olive oil in a wide, shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and celery and fry until softening. Add onion and sweet red pepper and continue cooking to caramelize the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in trimmed pea pods. Keep the heat high and stir while cooking for 1-3 minutes.
- Remove pan from heat, sprinkle ¼ cup mint leaves and ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes on top. Stir and season with salt to taste.
Serving
- Serve immediately in a warmed dish.
Storing
- Leftovers will wilt slightly, but you can keep them in the refrigerator for 5 days. Reheat gently or enjoy chilled.
Notes
- Take a small paring knife and notch it into the curved end of a pod and slice down towards the straighter edge lined with peas. Stop before slicing all the way through and cutting the string.
- Pull the string away from the pod by holding it between your thumb and the knife blade.
- Repeat on the opposite side of the pea pod.
- If there aren't any strings, all you need to do is nip off the very ends of the pods.
- Slice larger pods diagonally in half crosswise so they will cook as fast as the smaller ones.
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