Snap Pea, Radish, and Mint Salad

Snap peas and radishes overlap at the farmers market for just a few weeks in late spring and early June. Both are at their best eaten raw — crisp, sweet, slightly peppery — and this salad plays them off each other perfectly. Mint and a simple lemon dressing keep it bright. It’s the kind of salad you can throw together in 10 minutes and serve alongside almost anything.

Ingredients

• 2 cups snap peas, strings removed, halved on the diagonal
• 1 bunch radishes (about 8–10), thinly sliced into rounds
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ¼ cup fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley or chives, chopped

Lemon Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Optional additions:

• 2 oz crumbled feta cheese
• ¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds or chopped pistachios

Instructions

1. Remove the strings from the snap peas by snapping the stem end and pulling downward along the straight edge. Halve them on the diagonal.

2. Slice the radishes into thin rounds — a mandoline makes this fast, but a sharp knife works fine.

3. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust — it should be bright and just slightly sweet.

4. Combine the snap peas, radishes, scallions, mint, and parsley in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss gently to coat.

5. Add feta and seeds if using. Serve immediately.

Tips

• Eat it right away. This salad doesn’t hold well once dressed — the radishes soften and the mint wilts. Dress it right before serving.
• Prep ahead. You can slice everything and make the dressing up to a few hours ahead. Keep them separate and toss just before serving.
• Add protein. Toss in some cooked chickpeas, grilled shrimp, or sliced grilled chicken to make it a full meal.
• Swap the mint. If mint isn’t your thing, fresh dill or basil works beautifully here too.

Where to find the ingredients

Snap peas and radishes are both late-spring crops that typically wind down by early July in Michigan — grab them now before they’re gone. Look for them from Tantre Farm, Community Farm of Ann Arbor, Jacob’s Fresh Farm, Green Things Farm, and Seva Farm. Fresh mint and scallions are available at all four Washtenaw County markets through the summer.