A delicate tangle of grassy pea greens forms the basis of this salad, complemented by fresh peas, endive, and a warm, fruity vinaigrette that both offsets the faintly bitter quality of the pea greens and lightly wilts them.
To boost our salad with sweet springtime flavor, we steamed the fresh peas in a skillet until just tender before adding them. In the same skillet we used to cook our peas, we toasted pistachios to build our warmed vinaigrette.
Then we added a microwaved mixture of shallots, apricots, mustard, and white wine vinegar to the hot oil. We made sure to add the apricot mixture to the oil off the heat, as the hot oil was likely to sizzle.
The last step was simply tossing the warmed vinaigrette with the pea greens, cooked peas, and a bit of Belgian endive for welcome crunch. You can substitute frozen, thawed peas for the fresh peas; if using frozen peas, skip the first step.
Pea Green Salad with Warm Apricot Pistachio Vinaigrette
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 40 minutes
1 pound fresh peas, shelled (1 1/4 cups)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper
1 small shallot, halved and sliced thin
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup shelled pistachios, chopped
8 ounces (8 cups) pea greens
2 heads Belgian endive (8 ounces), trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Bring peas and 1/4 cup water to simmer in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, until peas are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain peas and set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.
Whisk vinegar, mustard, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in medium bowl. Add shallot and apricots, cover, and microwave until steaming, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir to submerge shallot, then let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
Heat oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add pistachios and cook, stirring frequently, until toasted and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in shallot mixture and let sit until heated through, about 30 seconds.
Gently toss pea greens, endive, and peas with warm vinaigrette in large bowl until evenly coated and wilted slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
