Snow Pea Salad with Avocado
Snow Pea Avocado Salad
A crisp, cooling raw snow pea salad with creamy avocado, toasted walnuts, lemon, olive oil, black pepper, and mild chile flakes.
Nutrition (per serving)
Snow peas are usually headed for a hot pan, but they make an especially good raw salad when they are soaked until very crisp and sliced into fine ribbons. The result is closer to a slaw than a leafy salad: bright, crunchy, and substantial enough to hold a lemony dressing without wilting right away.
This version keeps the ingredient list short and lets texture do most of the work. Toasted walnuts bring deep crunch, ripe avocado adds soft richness, and a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, black pepper, and mild chile flakes keeps the salad lively without covering up the green snap of the peas.
Serve it as a light lunch for two or a side salad for four. It is best tossed shortly before eating, since lemon juice can dull the color of the snow peas as it sits, but the components are easy to prep ahead: chill and slice the peas, toast the walnuts, and combine everything just before serving.
For the cleanest slices, stack a small handful of snow peas at a time and cut them lengthwise with a sharp knife. If the avocado is very soft, fold it in at the end with a wide spoon so the pieces stay visible instead of melting into the dressing.
Ingredients
- Fresh Snow Peas:8 ounces
- Toasted Walnuts:1/2 cup
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:4 tablespoons
- Fresh Lemon Juice:1 1/2 tablespoons
- Kosher Salt:1/2 to 1 teaspoon
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper:to taste
- Mild Red Pepper Flakes:1/2 teaspoon
- Ripe Avocado, halved, pitted, and thinly sliced:1
Instructions
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If the walnuts are not already toasted, spread them on a small sheet pan and toast at 350°F for 6 to 10 minutes, until fragrant and a shade darker. Let them cool.
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Put the snow peas in a large bowl of ice water and soak for 10 to 20 minutes, until very crisp.
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Drain the snow peas well and pat them dry with a clean towel so the dressing will cling.
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Working in small stacks, slice the snow peas lengthwise into thin ribbons.
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Chop the cooled walnuts into small, uneven pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl.
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Add the olive oil, lemon juice, kosher salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the walnuts and whisk until the dressing looks glossy.
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Add the sliced snow peas and toss until evenly coated, then add the avocado and fold gently just until combined. Serve right away.
Tips & Notes
- Toast the walnuts before starting the salad so they have time to cool and stay crisp in the dressing.
- For make-ahead prep, slice the chilled snow peas and mix the walnut dressing separately, then combine them shortly before serving.
- Use a firm-ripe avocado if you want distinct slices; a softer avocado will make the dressing creamier.
- Sugar snap peas can work in a pinch, but slice them very thinly because they are thicker and sweeter than snow peas.
