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Two summers ago, I think I took this salad to every summer potluck I attended. I couldn’t get enough: sweet, bright-green peas… savory, earthy mushrooms… crunchy almonds… and a tangy, nutty Asian vinaigrette. Frankly, the only reason I hadn’t blogged it earlier is that it was never around long enough for a photo shoot.
Most of my friends got seriously sick of pea salad, except for Mysty, who loved it as much as I did. Mysty and her husband turned to making pea salad with whatever salad dressing they happened to have on hand. I can’t vouch for that approach, but apparently peas and almonds are good together no matter what you put on top.
This is another one in the category of “easy veggie dish to take for the work potluck,” which I did last week. And while I am obviously not vegetarian, it’s good to consider bringing a vegetarian dish for a potluck, as here in ‘Burgh many potlucks are out-of-control carnivorous orgies* that many vegetarians leave hungry (not to mention mildly nauseous).
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This recipe is based on Drew’s brand Shiitake-Ginger dressing. You can do that for a near-instant salad fix. Unfortunately, I’ve had a hard time finding that dressing on a consistent basis.** I taste-tested this at-home version against the original, and they are close to identical. It only takes about 15 minutes longer to make, and the recipe makes enough for two batches.
Pea Salad with Shiitake Ginger Dressing
2-pound bag frozen peas, thawed
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
4 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
Pinch Chinese five-spice
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ginger root, grated
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds, toasted
Place the thawed peas in your serving dish.
To prepare the mushrooms, discard the stems. Finely chop two mushroom caps and set aside. Thinly slice remaining caps. In a small skillet, heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil. Saute sliced mushrooms until cooked through. Remove the sliced mushrooms to the serving dish, reserving the oil in the pan.
Add the minced mushrooms and pinch of Chinese five-spice to the already heated oil. Saute 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add additional 2 tablespoons peanut oil and turn down the heat. Let the mushroom flavor infuse into the oil over very low heat for 2-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine mustard, garlic, apple cider vinegar, coriander and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in the the mushroom-infused oil, followed by the sesame oil and sesame seeds. You can stop and save the dressing at this point.
Just before serving, add the slivered almonds to the peas and mushrooms. Spoons about half (or less) of the dressing over and stir to combine. Eat immediately or the almonds will get mushy.
*Which is generally fine by me.
**Whole Foods seems to carry it regularly. Giant Eagle Market District usually carries the Drew’s brand, but not always the Shiitake Ginger variety.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
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