Sesame Crunch Snap Pea Salad
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This snap pea salad is all things crunchy and wonderful: thinly sliced snap peas make up the base while crunchy sesame salad toppers, roasted peanuts, cilantro, chili crisp, and an Asian-inspired dressing add oodles of flavor.
Another one that I think you'll love is my garlic butter sugar snap pea recipe.
This is the salad dreams are made of
Ok so I have to tell you that when the idea for this salad came to me, all I was really thinking of was the hundred thousand papaya salads I ate in Thailand recently. If you've never had one, they're wonderful things full of big, bold flavors and lots of spice. This snap pea salad is totally a papaya salad wannabe.
The dressing is made with a punch of forward flavors like fish sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, and garlic and then made creamy with some tahini ā aka sesame paste.
That saucy-like dressing gets poured over thinly sliced snap peas, a big handful of cilantro, roasted peanuts, lots of crunchy bits, and chili crisp <- yes I put chili crisp in a salad and, trust me, it's a very good thing.
3 reasons you want to make this for dinner this week:
- The flavor! The crunch! The all-round deliciousness!
- If you need one thing to make your dinner stand out and feel special, this is it.
- And leftovers taste shockingly good the next day. Honestly, I wasn't expecting them to be all that good, but more than a few times I've stood at my counter eating cold snap pea salad from a Tupperware container loving every single bite.
I've served this a few times recently and it really brings more basic mains to life. In the picture, you'll see it beside some chicken thighs roasted with a spice blend I found in my pantry. Our juicy baked chicken thighs or baked pork chops are another great option.
I find that this snap pea salad is so satisfying that it doesn't need anything other than a simple protein to make it a complete meal. But if you'd like, some ginger rice or garlic butter rice would do well with the flavors.
Frequently asked questions
If you don't find the answer you're looking for here, you can ask it in the comments below, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!
Is this snap pea salad spicy?
It does have some heat, but the ingredients you add make it easy to control. If you love heat, pile on the chili crisp and choose spicy salad toppers. If you prefer it mild, leave out the chili crisp and top the salad with crispy wontons.
How long do leftovers keep?
While this is better when eaten fresh, you can safely store leftovers for 3-4 days in your fridge. The crispy salad toppers go soft, but it still makes a pretty decent lunch the next day!
What is chili crisp?
Chili crisp is a magical, oily sauce with lots of crispy garlic, onion, and chilis. We sometimes make big batches of this chili crisp. But I also really love Triple Smoke's chili crisp and always have some in the pantry.
What kind of crunchy salad toppers should I use?
Have a look around your grocery storeāsnack aisle or Asian sectionāand see if you can find something crunchy to sprinkle on. The mix I like has wasabi peas and sesame sticks. Crispy wontons are also really tasty!
Watch how to make this recipe
Sesame Crunch Snap Pea Salad Recipe
Ingredients
The Dressing
- 2 tablespoons EACH: avocado oil and tahini (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger
The Salad
- 4 cups thinly sliced snap peas
- Ā½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 cup crunchy sesame salad toppers (see notes)
- Ā½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
- 1 tablespoon chili crisp (optional)
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients.2 tablespoons EACH: avocado oil and tahini, 1 tablespoon EACH: fish sauce, soy sauce, and lime juice, 1 teaspoon EACH: sugar, minced garlic, and minced ginger
- Add the snap peas, cilantro, crunch salad toppers, and peanuts to a large salad bowl.4 cups thinly sliced snap peas, Ā½ cup chopped cilantro, 1 cup crunchy sesame salad toppers, Ā½ cup chopped roasted peanuts
- Pour the dressing and the chili crisp, if using, over the top and mix to combine.1 tablespoon chili crisp
Video
Notes
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.