Snap Pea Salad with Whipped Feta is fresh, flavorful, and fast to make. Sugar snap peas are tossed in chili garlic oil. Then, it's all spooned over whipped feta. As you eat this dish, the whipped feta transforms into a creamy dressing for the peas. It's so good! Make sure to serve it with some bread to scoop up every last drop!
Make this pretty salad for an easy weeknight dinner, fuss-free entertaining, or summer gathering. For more easy salads for a crowd, check out: Butter Bean Salad with Feta, Vegetarian Lentil Nicoise Salad, and Grilled Potato Salad.
Jump to:
Why you'll love this recipe
- Fast: This recipe takes less than 20 minutes to make.
- Low Effort, High Reward: This stunning salad is easier to make than it looks. Each component comes together quickly. And, there's minimal chopping involved.
- Perfect for Entertaining: This Snap Pea Salad with Feta makes an easy entertaining recipe. It has a bold mix of flavors and textures, so it truly feels restaurant-quality.
- Blanched for Better Flavor: While it might be tempting to make a raw snap pea salad...snap peas are usually better after a quick cook. Snap peas can be a bit fibrous, so blanching makes them tender and brings out their sweetness. It also enhances the color. And, this way you won't need to spend time finely chopping raw snap peas. Instead, you can just serve them whole!
Ingredients (and substitutes)
You only need 8 ingredients to make this recipe.
- Sugar Snap Peas: Snap peas are a cross between snow peas and garden peas. They're crisp and sweet. Snap peas typically have a tough fiber that runs down the seam of the pea. That fiber (or "string") is best removed before eating. But, you can now buy "stringless" snap peas which saves a ton of prep time.
- Tip: Sugar Snap Peas aren't the same as Snow Peas. Snap Peas are thicker and more rounded. Whereas Snow Peas are thinner and flatter.
- Lemon: You'll need lemon zest and juice. Use fresh lemon here, as bottled juice isn't quite the same.
- Red Pepper Flakes: We like our garlic oil to be spicy. It pairs really well with the cooling feta and crisp snap peas. But if you don't like spicy things, use less red pepper flakes.
- Feta: We find that a block of feta (packaged in brine) has better flavor. But you could use pre-crumbled feta instead.
- Greek Yogurt: Use a plain, thick Green yogurt. If your yogurt is on the runnier side, use a bit less to start. Then, you can always add more if needed.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Love easy and healthy salads? Don't miss these 25 Best Summer Salad Recipes!
How to make (step-by-step photos)
There are 3 components to this fresh snap pea salad with feta. But it's surprisingly simple to make! Here's how to make this recipe:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Homemade Chili Garlic Oil is a great flavor-booster! Make extra for meals throughout the week. It's great with ramen, crispy tofu, roasted broccolini and other air fryer veggies.
Tips
- Don't heat the oil too much: You want to warm the oil to bring out the garlic's flavor. But, you don't want to cook the garlic until it's crisp and brown. Remove the oil from the heat as soon as the garlic's fragrant. The oil will continue to infuse as it cools.
- Don't overcook snap peas: Snap peas can be eaten raw...but they taste even better when slightly cooked. Blanching the snap peas makes them less fibrous, sweeter tasting, and brighter green. Just make sure not to overcook them! Have your ice bath ready before you start cooking.
- Pat the snap peas dry: After the snap peas are blanched, use a kitchen towel to pat them dry. Removing excess water will allow the dressing to coat the snap peas better.
- Food processor alternative: If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender whip the feta. Otherwise, you can mix it by hand using a whisk or electric mixer...but it won't get as smooth.
- Serving suggestions: We recommend serving with a side of bread, focaccia, naan, or pita. This way you can scoop up every last drop of the whipped feta and infused oil.
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 review below!
📖 Recipe
Snap Pea Salad with Whipped Feta
Ingredients
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 16 oz sugar snap peas (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (and lemon zest, for garnish)
- fresh dill (optional)
Instructions
- Make oil: In a small saucepan, stir together ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, ½ to ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt. Warm over low heat until the garlic barely begins to sizzle. Then, let cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from heat; let oil cool in the pan while you finish the salad.
- Whip feta: Combine ¾ cup crumbled feta cheese and ½ cup plain Greek yogurt in a food processor (see note 2). Process until smooth. Set aside.
- Blanch peas: Set aside a large bowl of ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Scatter in 16 oz sugar snap peas and boil for 45 seconds, until bright green and tender (don't overcook!). Immediately plunge snap peas into the ice water. Let cool for 1 minute in the water, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and pat very dry.
- Toss peas: Add the snap peas to the saucepan of cooled oil (or a bowl if not big enough). Drizzle with 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice. Toss well to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed (the feta will be another source of salt).
- Assemble: Spoon the whipped feta on a plate. Top with the snap peas and drizzle over the oil. Garnish with fresh lemon zest—and fresh dill, if using (see note 3).
Notes
- Snap Peas: Buy "stringless" snap peas to save prep time. If you can't get stringless snap peas, you will likely want to peel off the string prior to blanching them. Stringless snap peas are
- Whipped Feta: You want this mixture to looser than hummus, but not quite as runny as cream. It's meant to coat the snap peas as you eat this dish, a bit like a creamy salad dressing. If your Greek yogurt isn't very thick, start with a bit less and then add more if needed. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender.
- Serving Suggestions: Delicious served with a side of sliced bread, naan, pita, etc. for dipping into the whipped feta and chili garlic oil.
- Storage Tips: This salad looks prettiest when made fresh. But leftovers can keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. (Olive oil can solidify in the fridge, but will become liquid again at room temperature).
LEAVE A COMMENT