Quick & Easy Minted Pea Salsa or Salad

This simple and insanely quick minted pea salsa or salad is the epitome of summer flavours, garden peas, chilli, tomato, red onion and mint!

There is no real cooking involved in this recipe; all you need to do is pour some boiling water over your frozen peas, then get to work chopping. You should be done in 15 minutes!

Minted Pea Chopped Salad

I really am not poetic enough to explain just how much I love garden peas. They are the archetypal summer ingredient for me, sweet, light, fresh and require no real cooking.

I cook with them all year round, and they are not just an afterthought on a plate for me!

I use them in pea and ham risotto, matar paneer curry and even in a puree to accompany my deep fried goats cheese, to name but a few!

This pea salsa or salad pairs fresh or frozen peas with mint, which, let's face it, is a classic combination. Then it gets some great summer tomatoes, a few capers, a bit of chilli and some balsamic vinegar.

I see this recipe as a bit of a summery alternative to my crushed minted peas recipe.

If the truth be known, I would be happy with a big bowl of this stuff and a spoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen peas?

Yes, absolutely! In fact, unless your peas are eye-wateringly fresh, I'm talking picked that day, then you are better off using frozen peas.

What's the optimum time to let this salsa marinate?

I think anywhere between 15 minutes and an hour is the optimum time. But you can get away with eating it pretty much immediately and leaving it for up to 4 hours.

Do I have to add the chilli?

No. The chilli can be omitted without negatively impacting the dish; they are there just to provide a tiny bit of background spice.

Do I have to use balsamic vinegar?

No, you can swap out the balsamic for other types of vinegar in this recipe. I've used everything from red and white wine vinegar to sherry vinegar and cider vinegar.

They all work really well, and all take this salsa off in a slightly different direction.

Serving Suggestions

This minted pea salsa is wonderfully versatile and works with everything from oily fish to gammon, but it is particularly good with lamb.

I've served it in the image above with a pan fried lamb leg steak and some fried new potatoes.

But you can go to town, it works just as well with a nicely pan fried Barnsley chop as it does with a rack of lamb.

But it is versatile, I've served this with some gammon steaks, deep fried goat cheese and even with my spam fritters.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• A kettle or another device to boil the water for the peas.
• A small bowl and a sieve.
• Chopping board.
• Kicthen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.