Crunchy Pea And Mint Salad

Crunchy Pea And Mint Salad
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Pea and mint are one of those iconic flavour pairings that never fail to disappoint. This pea and mint salad is no exception. It’s a perfect salad to enjoy on those long summer afternoons spent idling away the hours with a book and a beverage.

I’ve packed this salad full of flavour and texture. Nothing disappoints me more than a bland and watery salad. Just because something is healthy and light doesn’t mean it needs to taste terrible. Salads should celebrate those fresh and beautiful veggies, do them justice, and not just arrange them on a plate.

I’ve chosen to serve this pea and mint salad with a delicious lemon and miso dressing. It’s got just a hint of toasted sesame oil to give it a delightfully complex flavour. This sauce works perfectly to mend the sweetness of the peas and the nutty malt flavour of the pearl barley.

This superstar grain is one of my favourite additions to any salad. Often, Pearl barley is used in soups, lending their plump kernels to thicken a sometimes thin broth. I prefer to use them in salads where their crunchy natural exterior imparts a delicious bite to the recipe.

The fantastic thing about this recipe is it great to prepare in advance and have quick lunches ready to go in the fridge. If you are thinking about doing this, I urge you to try one tactic I regularly employ to keep my salads fresh and delicious.

The secret is not to mix your dressing into your prepared salad. If you mix the dressing and salad, the natural acidity of the dressing will start breaking down your salad. A few days of this process and your salad will be mush. Instead, combine all the salad ingredients (pearl barley, peas, rocket e.t.c) and store them separately from the dressing. Then combine when and as you need.

If you like this pea and mint salad you’ll enjoy these recipes:

Crunchy Pea & Mint Salad

★★★★★ (2 ratings)
Prep Time 10M
Cook Time 30M
Total Time 40M
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 200 g Mangetout peas
  • 30 g Mint (destemmed and roughly chopped)
  • 200 g Frozen peas (cooked until just dethawed)
  • 50 g Rocket
  • 250 g Pearl barley
  • 1 Tablespoon Sesame seeds

Dressing

  • 1 Tablespoon Miso paste
  • 1 Teaspoon Toasted sesame oil
  • 1 Lemon (juiced)
  • 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Teaspoon Sea salt

Instructions

  1. Rinse the 250g of pearl barley in water until the water runs clear. Then place into a deep saucepan and cover with water. Salt the water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt. Place the pan on the stovetop and bring to boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the barley is chewy with a little bite. Drain and leave to cool.
  2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients (a teaspoon of miso paste, a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil, juice of a lemon, 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of sea salt) in a small mixing bowl.
  3. Combine the 200g of mangetout peas, 200g of dethawed frozen peas, 30g of chopped mint, 50g of rocket and 250g of cooked pearl barley in a large mixing bowl. Toss well to combine.
  4. Serve the salad on individual plates with a little dressing poured over each serving. Finish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.