Article Updated March 17, 2026

Sugar snaps, snow peas, English peas popped from their pods — these little green wonders confirm that spring finally has sprung. Celebrate the spring season with these fresh ideas for pea recipes from amazing chefs around the country.

Celebrate Spring With These Pea Recipes

Chilled Pea Soup with Mint

Cool soups usher in the warm months ahead. The mint accent mates well with peas, even as it reinforces the soup’s striking emerald color. A perfect prepare-ahead starter for spring lunch or dinner.

Bruschetta with Crushed Peas and Smoked Salmon

Here’s a lovely little tidbit dressed in green, pink, and white. The hints of dill, lemon, and olive oil really elevate the peas without masking their simple sweetness. The smoked salmon adds a delicious counterpoint to this easy-to-make dish. If you pair these bruschetta with Gruet’s sparkling Brut Rosé and a fresh farmer’s market salad, you have a lovely warm weather dinner.

Pea Salad with Greens, Strawberries, and Mint Vinaigrette

This salad’s a toss-up of bright tastes and textures. Some of the vegetables — the peas in pods, in particular — get a light pickling, which adds more interest to the final sweet and savory dish. Should some diced carrot, zucchini, or bell pepper make their way into the pickling … you may find some bespoke nuances you’ll want to keep in your pocket for future occasions.

Green Goddess Pea, Bacon, and Cheddar Salad

Here’s a hearty salad that makes a great side with the season’s first grilled steaks, chicken, or burgers. This updates an American classic, which typically tosses the vegetable mixture with mayonnaise and not much else. Substituting an herb-filled green goddess dressing heralds spring and adds more flavor nuances to the salad.

Pasta Primavera

Manhattan’s legendary Le Cirque restaurant invented this dish back in the mid-1970s. It’s refreshingly retro, both elegant and easy to assemble, at least after you lightly cook the vegetables, which can be done ahead. A chilled Viognier or Sancerre would pair well with this delicious pasta. Invite some friends over.

Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)

A simple Italian dish, Risi e Bisi or Rice and Peas creates a lunch or dinner side that’s filling and can be accompanied by a tender slice of meat. This recipe does take a bit of patience to cook the rice evenly but the product pays off greatly.

Fresh Pea Puree

Looking for spreadable goodness to slather on to your favorite crackers, chips, or veggies? This Fresh Pea Puree uses just five ingredients to create a flavorful appetizer. You’ll want to use English peas for the best flavor and texture.

Salmon with Dill Butter Sauce and English Peas

If there’s a protein that goes best with peas it’s probably fish since the two complement each other well. A piece of salmon meets a drizzle of dill butter sauce and English peas stationed throughout. Try it for your next family dinner as a dish to impress.

Potato and Sweet Pea Gnocchi

Sweet peas in a gnocchi dough add an Earthy, versatile take. You can experiment with different sauces to go with these small potato and sweet pea gems but we opt for an easy butter and grated Parmesan mix to let the stars of the show shine.

Peas with Soffritto, Yogurt and Lemon

While some turn away from peas, we’ve found a way to make these little green balls delicious. A soffritto of celery, carrots, Spanish onion, and garlic tosses with fresh-picked peas, squeezes of lemon, and Greek yogurt. Bring it on your next picnic and take in the springtime weather.

Spring Pea Tartine

Tartine may sound complicated but really it just means a slice of bread with toppings. In this case, snow peas (preferably from the garden) take over along with crème fraîche or cream cheese, salt, and horseradish. But, you can go all out by adding on sprouts, fresh mint or dill, a few edible flower petals, and cherry tomato halves.

Gemelli with Prosciutto and Peas

The special shape of Gemelli pasta helps hold the sauce to the noodles with an al dente texture. You’ll make a Parmesan sauce that folds in prosciutto, English peas, and fresh chopped parsley. Here you get your protein and your veggie while still enjoying pasta that you love.

Pea Soup for Springtime

Some believe soup is only for wintertime but a cool Pea Soup in the spring is a lovely treat on a sunny day. Think of this bowl as your own personal garden full of peas, leeks, and bacon featuring garnishes such as sugar snap peas, enoki mushrooms, asparagus tips, dill, and more.

Red Snapper and Green Split Pea Salad

Treat you and your loved one to a luxurious dinner that uses red snapper as the center piece. After you cook your fish to perfection, you’ll prepare a Green Split Pea Salad that’s full of green like baby kale, spinach, and broccolini. Plus it has a blend of maple syrup, lime, oil, and seasonings to help these veggies standout.

Sweet Pea Guacamole

You’re probably used to seeing guacamole using avocado but using sweet peas instead completely changes the game. Suddenly your dip carries depth as the sweet pea puree toys with garlic, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, cumin, shallot, and a bit of jalapeño for spice. For an upgrade, use it as your pizza sauce the next time you bake one up at home.

Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Kylie Thomas

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