Springtime Salads – Peas and Peanuts

Spring is here!  This unusual salad makes a great addition to a Sprintime picnic or an Easter dinner table.  You can use frozen peas if you have to, but if you can get some fresh green peas that are just starting to come out of the garden, even better!

The now-defunct Embers Restaurant in Mount Pleasant, Michigan served a salad that I have never forgotten.  Sweet and creamy, their Peas and Peanuts was made with Miracle Whip and Spanish peanuts still in their papery red skins.   Taking advantage of fresh spring peas makes this salad worth revisiting with roasted, unsalted peanuts and a lighter vinaigrette to produce a healthier version of this classic.  (Although it is still pretty great with a mayonnaise base and salted peanuts as well!)  Serve it the same day you make it though, the peanuts become soft after soaking in any type of dressing for very long.

Serve this delightful treat as a side dish to a hot entrée or as a salad on a cold buffet.

Peas and Peanuts Salad

Ingredients
1 cup fresh spring peas, or blanched or frozen peas, thawed
1 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette
¼ cup light salad oil
1 tbsp.  white wine vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp. stone ground mustard

Directions

• Combine peas and peanuts in a bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine mustard and vinegar, whisking to blend.
• Slowly drizzle the salad oil into the mix, working to create a smooth emulsion.
• Adjust seasonings to taste.
• Toss peas and peanuts in vinaigrette. Allow to chill for 20 minutes before serving.  The peanuts should soften slightly in the dressing.  This is best served the same day it is made to prevent the peanuts from becoming mushy after soaking for too long.