Name: Fresh Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Radish, Corn, and Mint
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 8 ounces sugar snap peas; 8 ounces fresh shelled English peas; 1 ear sweet corn; 3 Breakfast radishes (thinly sliced); 2 tablespoons fresh mint (chopped); 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar; Salt and pepper (to taste)

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Fresh Snap Pea Salad with Radish, Corn, and Mint - Healthy, Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe from Plants-Rule — Fresh Snap Pea Salad with Radish, Corn, and Mint – Healthy, Plant-Based, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Vegan Recipe from Plants-Rule

Simple, Fresh Sugar Snap Pea Salad

Summer salads should be simple. There are so many delicious, fresh ingredients in season. Therefore, recipes should highlight the beautiful, delicious fruits and vegetables coming from the garden. This sugar snap pea salad is a great example of simple flavors. Crisp sugar snap peas, sweet corn, spicy radish, and bright mint come together quickly. With minimal prep, you have a healthy, plant-based vegan lunch in 10 minutes.

Sweet Sugar Snap Peas are a healthy snack. Use them in salads for crunchy texture. Add to pasta and stir-fry for natural sweetness and bright green color.

Start with High-Quality Ingredients

One of the first lessons I learned as a chef was the importance of using high-quality ingredients. This is easiest in the summer, when farmers markets are bountiful with colorful, delicious produce. There’s so much to choose from! It may be easy to fall back on the standard heirloom tomatoes with basil. Yet, I want you to think outside the box. Pick a new ingredient to highlight.

For instance, these sweet sugar snap peas make a great base for a healthy salad. Naturally sweet and full of crunch, they take minimal prep. Quickly blanching the peas locks in their bright green color. Plus, it also makes them a bit more digestible.

The rest of the salad is inspired by the offerings of the farmers’ market. Sweet corn, spicy radish, and fresh mint are available during the summer. Yet, you can mix and match with other vegetables that might be coming into season. Crisp cucumber, sweet bell peppers, spicy arugula, and fresh basil would all work well.

Sweet sugar snap peas, sweet corn, radish, and mint come together for this easy, healthy plant-based vegan salad recipe from Plants-Rule

Make a big batch of this healthy salad on the weekend. Use it for vegan lunches throughout the week. Or double the recipe for a plant-based side dish you can take to parties. This salad is:

Fresh
Light
Easy to make

Chef Katie’s Healthy Cooking Tips:

Slice the sugar snap peas on a bias (aka a "diagonal") for a beautiful, elegant presentation in this healthy salad — Slice the sugar snap peas on a bias (aka a “diagonal”) for a beautiful, elegant presentation in this healthy salad

Blanch fresh sugar snap peas and shelled English peas quickly for this easy, healthy plant-based vegan salad recipe from Plants-Rule — Slice the sugar snap peas on a bias (aka a “diagonal”) for a beautiful, elegant presentation in this healthy salad

Stretch this meal: To make this a heartier entrée, add some healthy plant-based carbs. Boiled red potatoes, cannellini beans, brown lentils, cooked quinoa, and roasted sweet potatoes would all be delicious!

Good Quality Balsamic Vinegar: A good-quality Balsamic balances sweetness and tang. Typically, balsamic that is aged longer is milder and sweeter. For help choosing a good balsamic, check the acidity level on the bottle (opt for less acidity). Or, some brand rate their options with leaves, stars, or other guides.

Champagne Vinegar: This clear vinegar provides a light, mild flavor and is not as harsh as other acids like white wine vinegar or lemon juice. You can use it in other recipes calling for these ingredients.

Radish varieties: Use any small variety of radish for this recipe. Easter egg radishes, finger radishes, and the standard red radishes all work. For more of a spicy kick, try black radish or Daikon.

Beautiful French Breakfast Radishes can add pink color and a crunchy, peppery bite to your healthy, plant-based recipes

No fresh corn? You can substitute with frozen corn kernels. 1 ear of corn yields about ¾ cup kernels. Therefor, you’ll need about ¾ cup frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed, for this recipe.

Is Corn Healthy? Absolutely! Despite some of the mixed messages we hear from those advocating low-carb or grain-free diets, whole corn on the cob is incredibly healthy. It is a complex carbohydrate, with healthy fiber and protein. Therefor, eating corn will help keep you satisfied for a longer period of time.

Summer sweet corn adds crunchy, fresh flavor in this healthy, plant-based recipe

Is it Safe to Eat Raw Corn? Yes! Raw corn on the cob is fabulous! Unless you have an allergy, eating raw corn on the cob is safe. Add it to salads, tacos, rice pilaf — or just squeeze on some lime and dive in.

Oil-Free: I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories, like those found in refined oils. This salad skips the oil for a simple splash of vinegar. You don’t need the oil in this recipe. There’s plenty of delicious, natural flavor from the beautiful, fresh ingredients!

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