Pea Shoots: How to Use, Cook, and Preserve Pea Shoots + Recipes
Pea shoots are tender young pea plant leaves with a fresh, slightly sweet flavor. They’re popular in spring cooking for salads, pestos, and light sauces, and are easy to grow or find at farmers markets. This guide covers how to use pea shoots, store them, and creative recipes from pesto to simple syrup.
WHAT ARE PEA SHOOTS?
What they are: young pea plant tips.
Taste: fresh, sweet, grassy with an aroma of sweet pea
Differences vs pea tendrils: Pea shoots are the young stems and leaves of the pea plant. They work well in salad recipes. Pea tendrils are the delicate curling fronds that grow at the top of the pea shoot helping it grow upwards towards sunlight. Use pea tendrils as a crunchy delicate garnish, pea tendrils have a more delicate flavor than pea shoots and crisper texture.
HOW TO USE PEA SHOOTS
Fresh Uses
Salads: this early spring green is perfect for light salads.
Garnish for soups and eggs: stir into hot soup for an added kick of greens with a bright, fresh flavor. Or garnish freshly scrambled eggs with a handful of pea shoots.
Sandwiches and wraps: pea shoots are perfect on sandwiches, adding just enough crunch and bright pea flavor.
Cooked Uses
Stir-fries; chopped pea shoots add a pop of green flavor and color to simple spring stir-fries.
Pesto: pea shoots blend seamlessly into pesto, creating a bold fresh flavor that melts into pasta.
Pasta sauces: keep this recipe simple, boiled fresh pasta, butter or olive oil and chopped pea shoots tossed together with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Soup toppings: Stir into brothy white bean soup seasoned with lemon for a bright, spring forward lunch.
Preserved Uses
Pea shoot simple syrup
Pea shoot sugar
Blanch + freeze
Infused oils
PEA SHOOT RECIPES
Pea Shoot Pesto with Pistachio and Parmesan
Fresh pea shoots, pistachio and parmesan cheese blend easily into a simple, flavorful pesto.
Pea Shoot Simple Syrup
Add a splash of bright, grassy flavor to drinks with pea shoot simple syrup.
Pea Shoot Sugar
Dehydrated pea shoots are mixed into sugar, creating a unique finishing garnish. Create pea shoot sugar rimmed cocktail glasses or dust cookies and baked goods to add a splash of natural spring green color. My recipe is simple and versatile. Pea Shoot Sugar adds a botanical, lightly floral flavor to drinks and baked goods with a touch of light spring green natural color as well.
Pea shoots naturally citrus, like in this Meyer Lemon with Pea Shoot Sugar Recipe.
Other Recipes Using Fresh Pea Shoots
Pea Shoot Salad with Lemon
Sautéed Pea Shoots with Garlic
Pea Shoot Pasta with Burrata
Pea Shoot Chimichurri
HOW TO STORE PEA SHOOTS
Refrigeration (paper towel + container)
Blanch, then freeze.
Pea Shoots Last about 1 week in the refrigerator with proper storage.
HOW TO GROW PEA SHOOTS
Pea Shoots are fairly easy to grow indoors and this fast growing plant is perfect for early spring growing.
Pea shoots are perfect for indoor growing for winter
Pea shoots grow best in well draining, peat free soil.
You don’t need a large pot. Pea shoots will flourish in a flat, low container.
Place seeded container in a sunny windowsill and water as needed.
Pea shoots sprout up and ready to harvest in 10-1 days.
PEA SHOOTS IN DRINKS & DESSERTS
Herbal simple syrup for cocktails
Sugar for tea & baking
Garnish for spring cocktails
FLAVOR PAIRINGS
Pea shoots pair well with:
Citrus, especially lemon.
Nuts, like pistachio and almond.
Parmesan, ricotta
Bright Herbs: Mint, basil and tarragon.
Spring vegetables (asparagus, ramps)
What do Pea Shoots Taste Like?
pea shoots are bright, grassy, a little sweet and of course have an underlying flavor of garden fresh peas.
Are Pea Shoots Edible Raw?
Yes, pea shoots are actually their best when eaten raw with minimal heat.
How Long do Pea Shoots Last?
Stored correctly, pea shoots last about 7 days with proper refrigeration.
Where Can I Buy Pea Shoots?
Pea Shoots are readily available at farmers markets early in the season and can be found in the sprouts section of most commercial grocery stores.
Related Spring Recipes
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