Miso-Maple Sugar Snap Pea, Turnip and Strawberry Salad Recipe

Serves 4

I love the crunch of sugar snaps that have been pan-fried, just enough. Just enough is key — it draws out some sweetness, amplifies the sugar snaps’ firm exterior, releases their naturally vibrant hues. They should offer resilience to your bite, but yield with minimal effort, offering the eponymous snap. You could also leave the sugar snaps raw, just finely sliced. This will offer a different experience, one that is greener, more spring-like. Miso and maple bring out all sides of the sugar snaps — the savory notes, along with earthy sweetness. It’s a jaunty dressing, too, one that could be adapted to many vegetable situations. The strawberries complete this story, adding surprising moments of fruitiness and acidity. And bonus, it’s vegan and gluten-free.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup white or mixed quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable stock or water
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 2 small turnips (about 3½ ounces), such as Harukei, peeled and finely shaved
• 5 ounces strawberries, hulled and quartered
• Handful of mint leaves

Miso-Maple Vinaigrette:

• 4 teaspoons white (shiro) miso
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 teaspoons maple syrup
• 4 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, grated

Directions

Photo Collage: MOA Staff; (Source: Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, Getty Images (2))

Place the quinoa and vegetable stock or water in a saucepan and place over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 18 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is translucent. Turn off the heat and let cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

To make the miso-maple vinaigrette, add all the ingredients to a small bowl, along with 4 teaspoons of water. Whisk until smooth and well combined.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with olive oil and add the sugar snap peas, season with sea salt and black pepper and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar snaps turn bright green. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette to the peas and toss for 30 seconds. Allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes.

Scoop the quinoa into a large bowl. Add the sugar snaps, turnip, strawberries, mint leaves and the remaining vinaigrette and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Do ahead: The quinoa and sugar snaps can be made several hours ahead of time and left at room temperature (or stored overnight in the fridge). Add the strawberries, turnip and vinaigrette just before you are ready to eat.

Alternative serving suggestion: If you are looking for a lighter dish, you can omit the quinoa and double the amount of sugar snap peas, adding in some baby spinach leaves. You could also use raw sugar snaps — simply slice them finely.